Sasuke: Beginning of the End
by Sapphire-Raindrop
Summary: Sequel to Hikari: Path of the Avenger With Hikari gone and Konoha in ruins, Sasuke must make a decision. Will he stay, and help Konoha against the threat posed by the ruthless Madara? Or will he leave once more, and search for Hikari himself?
1. Prologue

Hello!

This is A SEQUEL, people! if you havent read _Hikari: Path of the Avenger_, please go do so before starting this story!

For everyone else, I hope you all enjoy!

_**PLEASE REVIEW!**_

_

* * *

Prologue_

This couldn't be happening.

Everything in me strained to deny it, every muscle, every nerve, and every beat of my heart. It was all a genjutsu…all just a silly game that would end with a click of a button. Just like on the night of the massacre of my clan, my vision seemed to go slightly gray as I fell to my knees beside the body that was pinned in between two slanted pieces of a fallen concrete rooftop.

It couldn't be happening. Not him, not him, not _him_.

Not Kakashi.

But it was.

It most definitely was, and for the first few seconds I could do no more than stare. It was like I was eight years old all over again, only this time; there were no tears or screams of horror. There was only a strange and silent numbness that rested in my stomach like a dead weight. It isn't a sensation I can describe to anyone outside the shinobi occupation, because it would be like trying to instill upon a blind person what the color orange – my mind immediately pulled up an image of Naruto in our genin days, and the winces Sakura frequently emitted at the eye watering brightness of the blonde's outfit – looked like. The vibrant brightness of the color was easy enough to describe, but it was impossible to accurately instill the image of the color without the recipient seeing the color with their own two eyes.

Kakashi's face was blank and void of anything but the calm coolness of death, an expression that made my stomach jerk uneasily, though my mind tried fervently to repress the feeling. Even after all those years at Sound, I had never been able to fully put aside my aversion to dead bodies. I suppose the reason is that whenever I see a dead body, my mind automatically leaps back to that day in the Uchiha Compound, when I slid open the door to my family's living room, only to find the bodies of my mother and father lying there, blood dripping from the upraised sword as I locked gazes with familiar Sharingan eyes…

A pale hand – I realized with a start that it was mine – reached up for a moment, as if to attempt to shake Kakashi's shoulder, but with a jerk, I yanked it back. No, Kakashi was gone. This wasn't the teacher that had been more of a father than my real father ever was…this was a corpse.

_My feet hitting the wooden floor – my hands pulling open the door – ashen arms and limbs spotted with red, it couldn't be blood – oh no, it was blood, so much – why weren't they moving? Why was Itachi standing there? – no it couldn't be, not Mother and Father! No, no, no, no,no…NO! _

I let out a harsh breath, hating myself for the cold sweat that was beginning to soak through my shirt and my hair. I should have prepared myself for this. I should have trained harder, I should have done more…should have tried any and everymental exercise instead of just assuming that I was strong enough.

I had always looked up to Kakashi. Behind the seemingly laid back and lazy exterior was a powerful shinobi with the fighting skills of an elite assassin and the level head of a Hokage. He had been the one to teach me his only original technique – the Chidori – and he understood what I felt better than anyone back in my genin days.

_With the Chidori, you've been granted a gift of awesome power. It's not a power to be used against comrades. Or to seek vengeance. I think in your heart of hearts, you _know_ what it's for. _

Back then, I hadn't been able to decipher what Kakashi meant by that. What else could such a powerful technique be used for? But, in my defense, I had been young, and my stubborn mind had been warped into thinking that my only purpose in life was to become stronger. I also hadn't been very receptive at that point in time, as Kakashi's lecture was right after Naruto and I had attacked each other on the roof of the hospital. The night before my defection to Orochimaru – my defection to, inadvertently, Sound. A mere two days before Naruto and I would fight at the Valley of the End.

Two years before a blonde girl would appear in a flash of light, landing rather ungracefully into my life.

I let my eyes close, and I got to my feet silently, staring at the body of my sensei for a moment before turning to walk away. There was nothing I could do now, and I felt that if I stayed there a moment longer, all of my control would shatter into tiny pieces.

Yes…I needed to walk.

There were no enemies around, and so I participated in a rare moment of inactivity, and walked without purpose, through the ravaged streets of the village, watching as ninja began to regroup after defeating the last of the animal summons. I had glimpsed a few cloaked figures running throughout the village, but now there were none in sight. The streets were deathly still, and there was chakra beginning to stir the air. This should have made me wary of a jutsu or other technique, but in my clouded state, I was foolish, and disregarded the alarms going off in my head.

Had it really been two years? It had passed by so quickly, perhaps because I refused to let myself focus on the silly details such as the date.

I remember the first day that we met. To be perfectly honest, my first impression of Hikari was that she was a stubborn idiot. I supposed she was attractive enough – I couldn't very well say otherwise, to do so would be childish of me – but all that seemed to linger with me was how insufferably emotional and ignorant she was. She talked too much, she intruded on my small world of security and strength and began destroying my stoic calm, like a bull in a china-shop, or so the saying goes.

Hikari talked back incessantly, and her confidence bordered on arrogance most of the time. The fact that I was forced to teach her did not help my irritation, if anything; it increased my already growing dislike. The one good thing I could think of back then was that she was a very quick learner.

But then – when had it been? – something changed. It wasn't love, or even friendship. It was _something_, though, and I spent many a night staring up at the ceiling to his room, trying to figure out what that something was. I think it started after Sakura – disguised as Hana – came to Sound. I don't know what it was, but after that, the annoying brat that reminded me – both fondly and infuriatingly; a strange combination – of Naruto was suddenly shifted into a different category.

I remember the way Hikari would float on the surface of the lake, her chakra supporting her, long blonde hair rippling just below the surface. Her face was always so peaceful, it made me slightly uneasy, the way she always seemed so happy whenever we trained outside of the Sound base. It was a strange opposition, seeing as Hikari was always on edge and snappy whenever in the base.

I didn't love her, but I didn't exactly hate her.

Hikari was my clean slate.

I had been slightly dishonest with her earlier, when I told her that she wasn't annoying to me back then. She had been annoying, and still was at times, even now; after all we'd been through.

It wasn't until we met up with Suigetsu and Karin that I really began to realize that my thoughts concerning her weren't just ones of teammates, or even just friends. I remember this because of the way my blood boiled when Suigetsu smiled at her. My hands clenched into angry fists when he grinned at her in that flirtatious way.

The feeling itself was disconcerting enough, but the other emotions that came along with it were even more unnerving. Jealousy? Protectiveness? Affection? _Lust_? That last one was the most unnerving of all. I had seen unclothed women before, but seeing as I had no attachment to any of them, their beauty – in some cases the term beauty wasn't applicable, but instead the sheer nakedness was enough to pose a threat – did nothing to my self control. But after arriving in the camp I had arranged near the prison where Karin was located, and seeing Hikari standing there, her long gold hair pulled in a bun, her toned legs tensing as she turned, the wariness to her blue-gray eyes…I am unfortunately forced to recall that the first thing I thought of was pinning her to the ground and kissing her as hard as I could.

It was strangely exhilarating, and yet at the same time extremely terrifying. I was an Uchiha, I had my revenge to consider, and I couldn't just put it all aside because of some _girl_. Sakura had done that in her genin days – her infatuation led her to be lacking in strength, a key factor in being a shinobi – and all it had done was make her less of an asset and more of a useless body that got in the way.

They became harder and harder to ignore, the feelings that arose as a result of Hikari. My dreams became plagued with her face, and whenever she spoke my eyes couldn't help but follow. How had I not noticed up until that moment how striking she was when she smiled? Was I blind?

Hikari was a horrible – an understatement – cook, her skills in genjutsu were adequate at best, her often lack of a censor was taxing at times, her stubbornness was both admirable and infuriating, her nails were cracked and bitten, her blind compassion often got her into serious danger, her words – when in a temper or when being confronted – were often self-righteous and arrogant.

But I loved her.

I loved her smile, I loved her long gold-blonde hair, I loved her laugh, I loved her strange but refreshing sense of humor, I loved her strength and her kindness, I loved the way she felt in my arms, I loved the way her blue-gray eyes stared unblinkingly into my own, like the glassy surface of a sunlit pool that changes its reflection constantly; sometimes I could see into the very deepest depths, and other times the sun forced the reflection of my own face back at me, and I could do nothing but stare into the water and wonder what made it so indecipherable.

Pulled back to the present, I looked around at the broken and somewhat destroyed buildings, and smiled without humor as I recognized the ramen shop Naruto loved so much. The name was unreadable due to the dust floating in the air, but Sasuke could still imagine a smaller Naruto sitting at the bar, his blonde head bent hungrily over his bowl.

Was he still away from Konoha, unaware that his beloved home was slowly crumbling to the ground?

Sakura was there with him, her long pink hair flipping angrily as she smacked Naruto over the head with the palm of her hand.

Had she succumbed to the enemy ninja, or had she survived? Was she crying, was the fighting…was she pinned under some rocks like their sensei?

Kakashi was on the other side, setting his chopsticks over the empty bowl – he had once again somehow managed to eat the ramen without either genin seeing his face – as he smiled at the two arguing kids to his right.

He was gone. Dead and dead and never coming back. But in this wistful memory, his smile was just as laid-back and amused as it always was.

On the other side of Sakura, there was an empty seat, and a bowl of ramen waiting there for the last member of Team Seven to arrive.

I slowed to a stop, staring into the hazy image of the figures sitting there.

Time couldn't stop, when I left. I knew this, but at the same time I wished that for a moment, I could go back to the day that I left Konoha. I would still leave – that much was undeniable, it was necessary in order for me to meet Hikari – but before I left, I would tell my teammates how much they meant to me. I would tell them the honest truth about how I felt, for the first and probably the last time. I would tell them my feelings; I would tell them how grateful I was that I met them.

Now, as I watched in my mind's eye the image of my teammates, all grown up without me, I could only whisper the words in my mind.

_Naruto, you're like a brother to me. More of a brother than I deserve. I know that I've made fun of you almost constantly since we've met, but I want you to know that I admire your dream. I'm jealous of the way you make people feel needed, I wish that I could forgive as easily as you. You're an idiot, that much is obvious, but without you…Konoha wouldn't be the same. _

_ Sakura, you need to work on your social skills, and your lack of physical strength is really embarrassing. But you're so warm and bright, and I've always liked the way you smack Naruto around like it's no big deal. It gives me a reason to show up at the bridge to wait for Kakashi-sensei every morning. I hope that someday you focus more on making yourself happy than making me and other people happy. You're a good person, Sakura. Annoying and over-emotional at times, but still good. You deserve happiness, more than everyone else. _

_ Kakashi-sensei, you're like my father in so many ways. I know that you probably don't want to hear that, but it's true. You support my will to learn, and you gave me a powerful weapon that I will cherish and develop in my life outside of Konoha. You're strong, and skilled, and you're more of a teacher than anyone at the Academy ever was. Thank you for everything you've done for me, and for the rest of my team. _

I took a step towards the ramen shop, and suddenly, everything exploded around me. Crushing pressure, suffocating and horrible, pressed around me, and I tried to keep my balance as I was knocked off balance.

My sense of direction was skewed by the suddenness of the shaking, and blurred dark shapes of buildings and the strange cheery blue sky swam in dizzying waves as I struggled to close my eyes.

Suddenly, a blinding pain smashed into the right side of my head.

White lights – painful throb – ground raising to meet me – muted echo that sounded as my body hit the ground – fading sounds of buildings crumbling – the screams of dying – pain pain pain pain –

Nothingness.

Annoying high voice – "Sasuke!" – soft hands touching my head – _pain _– lower, deeper voice asking something – then blackness.

Nothingness.

Another voice – "Sasuke, can you hear me?" – softer, less annoying, familiar – warm air – less pain – blood on my tongue – loud voice yelling – "Is the bastard going to be alright?" – eyes flutter before closing – flash of pink hair – orange cloth – warmth – blanket – brain is picking up speed, I can think clearly again, but my head still hurts.

But I recognize the voices, and quickly open my eyes.


	2. Chapter 1

Phew! Finally!

Thanks to those who have read, favorite-ed, alert-ed and/or reviewed this story! It means so much to me!

I hope you guys like this chapter (I like it a lot, and feel very proud of it in terms of characterization)!

If you have any suggestions or comments, **_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

:D**_  
_**

_

* * *

Chapter 1_

Sakura's dirt and tear streaked face swam in front of my face for a moment, along with the sounds of hundreds of people swarming about and cheering. Sunlight was everywhere, and the sudden flood of light and sound was so intense that I had to close my eyes for a moment as my senses adjusted. In the few seconds that I kept my eyes closed, another, much louder voice sounded from my right side.

"Oi, Sasuke, wake up!"

Na…Naruto? Wasn't he away training somewhere? Why weren't there sounds of dying villagers? What the hell had happened? Why had the village exploded? Where was the enemy, where was Kakashi, where were the two ninja who had found me and brought me here? Where they dead, where they–

The overwhelming stream of questions was beginning to give me a headache, and I forced myself to open my eyes, ignoring the throbbing pain in my head that resulted from the bright sunlight. My head throbbed unsteadily, and when I reached up to touch it, I felt the rough texture of bandages, a thick wad of the thick white cloth covered my right eye, held there by several small pieces of medical tape. It was a bit disconcerting, not being able to rely on my peripheral vision to see where exactly Naruto was on my right side. I turned my entire head, and let out an involuntary hiss at the pain that jolted up my sore neck.

Sakura smiled without humor, gently pushing my head so it faced forward once more. "None of that, Sasuke-kun. You need to take it slow; that was a pretty bad head wound you got…there was only so much I could do, seeing as Naruto was in the middle of the battle."

Naruto's voice, slightly irritated at being ignored, sounded again like an insistent blare, and I growled under my breath at the stabbing pain that spiked through my skull at the suddenness of the loud noise.

"Hey! Is he gonna be alright soon? Kakashi-sensei said that he's got something important–"

_Dead and dead and never coming back_.

I couldn't help but flinch at the sound of our sensei's name. "Kakashi is dead. I saw him…under the rocks…"

Sakura and Naruto, their faces mirroring slightly altered levels of understanding, exchanged looks. The pink haired medic touched my shoulder, a surprisingly tender gesture that was, for once, free of any ulterior motive or feeling. I looked up into her eyes, surprised at the small smile that was slowly spreading across her face.

"It's a long story, Sasuke. But since you are a very wounded patient, and I am a wonderful medic with bundles of experience, I can ensure that you stay in this bed until the story' over." she said, with a grin, tucking a dusty strand of pale pink hair behind her ear. Naruto gave a little huff of impatience, and punched my shoulder before ducking out of the tent. The sight of his bright blonde hair, glinting in the sunlight that pierced through the opening to the tent, suddenly reminded me of Hikari, distracting me from the sudden image of Kakashi's corpse pinned between the two slabs of stone.

How could I forget her, even for a second?

Yes, my obsession with her safety was dangerous; yes it made me less motivated toward my revenge. Both were valid points. But a small part of me – perhaps it was the eight year old child in me who wished for a normal life, who wished that those long summer days spent training with his older brother and being tickled by his mother had never been abruptly put to an end – relished in the fact that I now fully understood what Naruto felt when he fought me at the Valley of the End.

* * *

_My head broke the surface of the water as I swam to the surface, and I quickly climbed to the surface. I had been stupid to underestimate Naruto…I had underestimated him so many times._

_ When had he grown so strong? How had I missed it? _

_ My hair stuck to my face, and I glared at the rising body just below the water. Naruto surfaced, his face staring up at the blue sky above the valley. I felt only hatred for the sadness on his face, I felt only pity and irritation. What a blind, idiotic fool. He thought that he, Naruto Uzumaki, could somehow defeat me, Sasuke Uchiha? _

_ He was an idiot, and I was the last of the powerful Uchiha clan. We were worlds apart…we always had been. If he were smart, he would let me go. If he were smart, he'd understand that we were fated to clash against each other. He wanted peace, and I wanted vengeance. Two sides of the spectrum that could never mix, no matter how we tried to delude ourselves into thinking otherwise. _

_ Those blue eyes turned to stare into my own, eyes that were the same color as the sky; only the blue in Naruto's eyes was not bright and cheery. It was dull and filled with pain. Filled with the sudden, clear realization that this was a battle to the death. _

_ Finally, we were on the same page. _

_

* * *

_

_ "W-What _are _you?" I stammered, the crushing pressure of the red chakra frightening and oppressive in its sheer strength. It felt as though the very air wanted to throttle the life out of me, as if my blood was the only blood that would satisfy it's lust for death and pain, and more death, death, death–_

_ Naruto's eyes, no longer blue, but instead a bright and terrible shade of crimson, were streaming with tears. _

"_Your friend…"_

_ I recovered from the shock as Naruto leapt at me. I had to beat him, I had to break these foolish bonds. _

_ Bonds had to be broken, because they held nothing but pain and regret in their depths. _

_

* * *

_

_"When I'm with Iruka-sensei...I think that's what it's like to have a father."_

_I stared at Naruto across the water, both of us balanced on upturned logs. His eyes were still filled with the crimson rage and pain, as he stared down into the glassy water. I could see his face reflected back at him on the surface, that familiar, yet completely foreign face.  
_

_ "And when I'm with you…" he said softly, and when he looked up at me I saw within his eyes all those times as Team Seven. All those hardships, all those happy times where Sakura and I watched Naruto make a fool of himself, where Naruto bantered with me relentlessly, both irritating me and goading me on at the same time. _

"…_I imagine that that's what it's like to have a brother." _

_My eyes widened, and a small smile crossed Naruto's face. I wanted to yell at him, but somehow my voice came out a whisper, broken and pathetic in its fragility. _

"_Why are you going so far…just for me?" _

"_Because this is one of the first bonds I've ever had, Sasuke. I don't want to lose you to Orochimaru, that's why I have to stop you!" _

_In that moment of weakness, it all made sense. Naruto and I were best friends, we were best together than we ever were apart. I cared for Naruto like I had cared for _that_ man, so long ago. Naruto was my brother in all ways that counted, and I was abandoning him. _

_But then, another realization emerged from the shadows of my mind, and I focused my anger into a small spot in my chest. I reached for my headband, nestled in my pocket. _

_Naruto wanted peace and I wanted vengeance. He wanted bonds, and I wanted freedom. Two sides of the spectrum that could never mix, no matter how much we deluded ourselves into thinking otherwise. _

_

* * *

_

I had always thought that Naruto was a fool for having those bonds. I still did, to an extent. They were stupid things for a ninja to bind himself down with, but for now, I pushed it all aside. Naruto had been trying to protect something precious to him, something that he couldn't bear to lose.

I had always thought of myself as someone who couldn't be bothered with such things.

But now, I had something equally precious, and the severity of that realization consumed me. I loved Hikari so much…so much…it hurt me to think of the unexpected rawness of my desire. I had never felt this way about another human being, even in the cases of my mother and older brother. It was a powerful, pulsing throb in my chest, stronger than the beat of my heart, and I spoke in an attempt to distract myself from it.

"Sakura," I interrupted Sakura's voice as she began to tell me what had happened in the time that I was unconscious. "where is Hikari?"

Sakura had never been a good liar. Her personality wasn't very reserved, and so it was quite easy – even after being away from the village for two years – to see what she was thinking. An annoying characteristic back in my genin years, and still an annoying one now, but in this situation I was more liable to use it to my advantage.

It was better to question Sakura about what had happened, rather than ask someone like Kakashi, who was an expert at hiding his true emotions from public view.

At the mention of Hikari's name, Sakura's face blanched, and her lips pressed together tightly, without her even noticing it. Panic dropped into my chest like a large and pointed stone, more jarring and real than anything else in my heart at that moment. No, she wasn't gone. Sakura was just confused; she just didn't know where Hikari was. It was natural for her not to keep tabs on people; the village was in ruins. Naruto would know where she was…_someone_ would know…

I pushed aside the pain in my head, and yanked the covers off of my lower body, jerking away from Sakura's hands and getting to my feet. Immediately, dizziness swam before my eyes, and I swayed unsteadily. I imagined that this was what being drunk felt like. If it was, I swore to myself at that moment that I would never touch even a drop of alcohol. I hated feeling out of control of my own body; it was mine to control, mine to train and care for…and therefore my mind had to be – at all times – level-headed enough to handle it.

Sakura's hands were secure on my arms, but I flailed strongly, breaking her grip. My vision was blurring from the sudden change in gravity, but I managed somehow to stumble to the door. I was saying something – I could feel the words being emitted from my throat – but the ringing in my ears was so deafening that all outside sound was incomprehensible.

The light outside was even brighter than it had been when I woke up, and I couldn't hold back the groan that escaped my chest at the pain that stabbed into my skull. It was too bright…too much light…

_Hikari_.

_Light_.

I made to move forward, but suddenly two larger hands gripped my upper arms, holding me in place and keeping me upright. A low voice drawled suddenly, piercing the ringing in my ears, and the shock of hearing it made me freeze.

"Easy now, Sasuke."

_Kakashi?_

My gaze drifted up to meet a familiar dark gray eye, crinkled in an even more familiar smile. His spiky silver hair was freshly washed, and it stuck out in all directions. His mask was pulled into place as usual, and I found myself staring at the shape of his lips moving under the fabric. How were his lips moving? He was dead!

Kakashi Hatake was dead, and yet he wasn't dead. And not in that zombie-undead way, but in the frightening _dead-but-completely_-not_-dead _way.

My eyes were impossibly wide, that much I knew, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Kakashi didn't speak, instead just let me stare. I could see it in his eyes…he _had _been dead, but he wasn't anymore. What had happened?

Kakashi smiled again. "I'm glad to see you finally wake up…it's been nearly two days."

"Where is she?" My voice reluctantly lifted at the end, hopelessly, desperately, and when Kakashi didn't answer immediately I activated my Sharingan. I needed to know the truth…the whole truth. Kakashi was silent, and his face was as unreadable as the lower half of his face. I didn't need to clarify who I was speaking of…Kakashi knew as well as everyone else who was currently watching our exchange – Naruto, Sakura, and a few others I wasn't familiar with.

"Hikari was taken by Madara, Sasuke. I'm sorry, but there was nothing I could do."

My Sharingan faded away almost instantly at the sound of those words.

No….no, not Hikari. Anyone else…please…no…no…

My vision went gray, and I swayed, my head spinning. My skin felt so cold, so numb, and I couldn't seem to make my eyes blink. Everything was frozen.

"Sasuke, stay with me–"

"Kakashi-sensei, catch him, he's–"

My eyes closed.

Hikari.

No.

Hikari.

Please.

I felt arms lifting me up, struggling to keep me atop the water, but I was too far gone…sinking so fast, the voices melding into a swarm of sounds, the colors of the open sky and distant trees blending into similar shades of gray.

"…let's get him inside. Naruto help me lift him…"

Hikari.

Light.

In an instant, the light was gone, and I was left alone - horribly, utterly, completely - in the dark.

* * *

Kakashi felt a wave of tender sympathy wash over him at the sight of Sasuke standing there after Kakashi revealed Hikari's whereabouts, his eyes glazed over in shock. He knew better than anyone what it felt like to be suddenly faced with the loss of someone precious. It was like stepping into a pool of ice-melt – at first it was painful; shocking in its intensity, but after the first few seconds…you came unbearably numb. Numb to everything but the incredibly _real_ feeling of desperation.

Kakashi wished that he could have done more. If he had been in a different fight…he could have saved Hikari, for Sasuke's sake. But fate was not kind in this respect. Fate was never kind, come to think of it.

Sasuke was swaying now, his brain shutting down, his mouth parting as if to speak, but only a soft gust of air came out. Kakashi saw that he was slipping, and tightened his grip on the boy's arms. Never had he seen the Uchiha in such a state of shock, and it sent a flare of fear fluttering through him.

"Sasuke, stay with me–"

Sakura called out worriedly, "Kakashi, catch him, he's going to–"

Kakashi didn't need to hear the rest of Sakura's warning, because in that second, Sasuke's legs crumpled beneath him, his head lolling forward as his eyelids closed over listless onyx eyes. Kakashi held the boy around the shoulders, keeping him up, and quickly nodded to Naruto.

"Come on, let's get him inside. Naruto, help me lift him..."

Naruto nodded solemnly, and carefully lifted Sasuke's legs, and helped Kakashi move the unconscious Uchiha back into the tent. The boy's breathing was shallow and quick, and Sakura quickly bent over him when the two succeeded in lowering him to the bed of blankets.

Naruto stared at his friend, his blue eyes sad and torn as they were met with the cold hard truth: he couldn't do anything for Sasuke right now. There were no demons to fight, no ninja to torture or beat the living shit out of. There was only an unreachable and impossibly powerful enemy who was hundreds of miles away by now. Kakashi put a hand on the blonde's shoulder, and gently steered him out of the tent.

"Let's leave Sakura to it, Naruto. He won't be awake for a while."

"What's going to happen now, Kakashi?" Naruto surprised Kakashi by suddenly asking, and the silver haired jounin stopped to look over at the boy. His hands were clenched into angry fists, and Kakashi sighed.

"I don't know, Naruto. I wish I did. With Tsunade-sama in the state that she's in, the first thing will be to find a temporary replacement. Whatever happens next will be up to that replacement and the Council."

The Council. An unpleasant feeling filled his chest at the mention of them, and he couldn't ignore the anger that rose deep in his gut. Sasuke had told him the truth about the Uchiha Massacre not two weeks ago…and now that he knew the truth – it had to be the truth, Sasuke wasn't a liar, it wasn't in his nature – he couldn't help but feel betrayed. He had been led to believe by the authority he once put all of his faith in – he still placed nearly all his faith in the Hokage, but now that faith was slightly less solid – that Itachi Uchiha was a mindless murderer who killed the Uchiha clan merely to attain a twisted measure of personal capacity.

To suddenly hear that it was Konoha who ordered the attack and willingly labeled Itachi Uchiha, a truly honorable shinobi and a loving older brother, a traitor…it made Kakashi's stomach turn. Ninja villages were forced to take drastic measures at times, but this seemed…just plain barbaric. To kill hundreds for the act of a few…it was the easy way out, without a thought or a care to the innocents lost in the process. Babies and toddlers who had no way of comprehending what a few of their elders were planning, children and teenagers who were told nothing of the Uchiha clan elders' rebellion. All dead now.

* * *

_Obito's bloody face as his now empty eyesocket glared up at him, his lips contorted in pain. _

"_Take care of Rin, Kakashi…for me…" _

_Rin's tear stained face. "N-no, Obito…p-please…" _

_The rocks, tumbling around them, Kakashi's arm tightening around a sobbing Rin. It was all crushing Obito now, filling the cave and sealing their friend's already dismal fate. There was an all encompassing thud as the larger rocks fell toward the gasping Uchiha, and Rin's scream echoed in Kakashi's ears. _

"_OBITO!" _

_

* * *

_

Kakashi shook his head to clear it, and forced a smile at Naruto, who was looking at him expectantly. "Sorry, did you say something?"

"No…are you okay, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yeah…I was just thinking. Well, you'd go better help Sakura…she needs company right now."

"What'll you do, Sensei?"

"I'll finally finish my book. I'm only ten pages away from the end."

"The end that I sorta-not-really almost spoiled for you in that bells test with me and Sakura-chan?"

"Yes, that's the one." Kakashi nodded, and Naruto laughed before ducking back into the tent. Kakashi let the smile fade from his face as he listened to Naruto greet Sakura in a voice that was uncharacteristically quiet, Sakura's voice responding in an equally soft tone.

The jounin turned on his heel and started walking. There was no real destination in his mind…he just needed to walk, in order to have something to do. His mind swam with thoughts of Sasuke and Obito…and the beautiful village that was now reduced to dust and vivid memories. It was only three days ago when Kakashi had been walking down the street, his nose in his book…smelling the smells of Konoha that were so familiar and soothing to him. The smell of ramen, grass, sweat, freshly made dango, washed laundry, perfume, cologne, meat, vegetables, smoke, rust, dust and flowers…they all made up the familiar air that made Kakashi feel at ease. He was home when he smelled that smell.

The only smell in the air now was blood, dust, and sweat…and the only sounds were the voices of survivors and the moans of pain from the injured – so drastically different than the sweet rustling of leaves, the light and happy voices of children and civilians, and the comforting breeze making the wind chimes in the windows dance and sing.

His book lay untouched in his pouch as he walked and walked and walked, until his legs felt like jelly. It was then, and only then, that he allowed himself to settle down in the tent he shared with several other jounin. The others had long since gone to sleep, and so it was in pitch blackness and dead silence that Kakashi slid into his sleeping mat.

Kakashi sighed as he lay his head down, waiting for sleep to overcome him. It always did, at some point or another. All Kakashi had to do was wait…and wait…

"_Where is she?" _

Sasuke's voice, so full of pain and panic, floated across his senses, and with a jolt, Kakashi snapped open the covers. He was clad in only a black tank top, plain gray pants, and his mask – the rest of his gear was stacked neatly beside his mat – but he didn't pay any heed to that fact.

The jounin slipped on his sandals, and ducked out of the tent, firmly walking despite the fact that his legs ached and whined for him to stop. He couldn't stop, he wouldn't stop.

Because if he did, all he would see is Sasuke's stricken face, so pale and scared, so full of shock. He would see himself in that face, the same face that had existed when his thirteen-year-old self opened his uninjured eye to see Obito – the annoying, emotional…irreplaceable Obito – pinned under that impossibly large boulder.


	3. Chapter 2

Hey all! Here's the next chapter!

I'm quite surprised at how much I like where this story is headed, I'm definitely mixing things up a bit!

Enjoy, and **_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

_

* * *

Chapter 2_

I woke up with a start, panicking for a moment when I was met with complete darkness. Sweat was covering my skin, making the blankets tucked around my form stick to me uncomfortably, even though the darkness around me was surprisingly cold. I sat up hurriedly, touching my hands to my face to ensure that I was in fact awake. After confirming that, I looked around.

The area inside the tent was full of shadows, the only light shed by the thin strip of moonlight, slicing across the floor. It had an eerie glow, and my gaze drifted to the two figures that the moonlight brought into focus. One of them was awake, and it sat up sharply at the sound of my sudden escape from my nightmares.

Naruto stared at me, his blue eyes silent and pale in the silver light that streamed in. I noticed, with a jolt, that the light made them a piercing blue-gray. And the hair…it was the same as hers was. Naruto didn't look as if he had been sleeping at all, rather waiting for something. I closed my eyes as I watched Sakura edge closer to Naruto in sleep, her fingers brushing against the blonde's braced one.

I remembered it now. The battle was over, we had won.

_"Hikari was taken by Madara, Sasuke…"_

But I had lost everything.

Pain, a pain that was only comparable to being stabbed in the chest, raged in my head as I felt my face contorting. How could I let this happen? Hikari was gone…all because of her involvement with me.

I wanted to die. But everything was numb in my chest; it was like Itachi was dying all over again, his pale eyes smiling at me one last time. My parents lay on the floor beside his body in my mind, their faces blank and stone-cold in the merciless arms of death. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't speak.

She was gone.

Was she dead? Was this Hell?

I felt a hand on my bare shoulder, strong and calloused, and tensed automatically in preparation for the attack. I wanted to attack; I wanted something to rid my soul of these uncontrollably raw feelings I was drowning in. I wanted to killkillkillkill–

My Sharingan activated automatically, but was met with sad blue eyes instead of the Sharingan eyes that I wanted most to destroy for taking Hikari away from me. The understanding in Naruto's eyes made my body freeze. In the moonlight, they were the same shade as Hikari's.

_The girl's eyelids fluttered, and I found myself staring into deep blue-gray eyes that struggled to focus on me. Her face…looked like the face of my former best friend, Naruto Uzumaki._

Wetness suddenly dropped onto my clenched hands, and I looked down to see a splatter of droplets there. I reached up slowly, my gaze never leaving Naruto's as my fingers came into contact with my wet cheeks.

Tears.

Falling thickly, endlessly, without any warning at all.

I didn't bother hiding them; I didn't bother wiping them away, because there was no point when I was already broken so thoroughly. I looked away from Naruto, staring at my hands, and struggling to keep the sobs that racked through my chest quiet. It wasn't out of consideration for the sleeping kunoichi across from us; it was for my own sanity. Trying to hold the sobs back gave me something blissfully trivial to focus on. If I let myself go, I would have nothing else in my thoughts but the numbing pain of losing one of the only people I had given my entire heart and soul to.

The seconds turned into long, immeasurable minutes, and though my tears should have reached their limit a long time ago…they continued to flow, unheeded, from my eyes.

Naruto's hand was solid on my shoulder, and I resisted the urge to smack it away. I needed contact at that moment, whether it be from Naruto or from some complete stranger. Just…human contact. Something to keep me from tearing at my skin and setting everything on fire.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke." Naruto's voice was, for once, soft and sympathetic, and I almost felt cheated. I had been counting on Naruto's loud and obnoxious words, been counting on him to distract me from my sorrow. Now, his voice made the pain worse, and I bent over myself, tugging my knees to my chest, letting the tears fall in darkening spots on the pale ivory blanket.

"…I'll kill him…I want…"

The voice was cracked and hoarse, and it wasn't until a moment later that I realized that it was mine. Naruto, his actions contrary to what I expected for the second time this night, nodded curtly in agreement.

"That sounds good."

I stared up at him, and he sighed deeply, settling down more comfortably at my side, his eyes staring at me with something akin to guilt. But it vanished a second later, and I assumed that I had merely imagined it.

"Hikari's like…" he said, hesitating for a moment before continuing, "…a sister to me, Sasuke. I don't know how, but it's just something I feel…deep inside. When she ran from Konoha before, I could see her in my dreams, and I just…had this _feeling_…"

Sakura suddenly moved in her sleep, and a soft sigh escaped her. Naruto and I froze, both of us watching and waiting while the pink haired medic shifted around somewhat in her sleep. Her hand tightened into a loose cage around Naruto's fingers and the idiot smiled widely, his cheeks red. I watched him tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear with a strange tightness in my chest. The two of us waited until Sakura's breathing deepened once more, her hair splayed out on the moonlit pillow, her face creased with unease even in sleep. Naruto reached out as if to smooth out the worry lines, but thought better of it after a moment, and pulled his hand back. His eyes met mine as he continued, in an even quieter voice.

"We're connected, somehow, and I want to save her as much as you do. So…let's go."

My shock was so great that I managed to speak. "W-What?"

"Let's go save Hikari! I don't see what's so difficult about this, Bastard." Naruto's eyes were bright, and I – under the secrecy of my covers – pinched my leg sharply to see if I was hallucinating. When the pain made it evident that this was in fact reality, I wiped my eyes hurriedly.

"Shut up, Naruto. Stop playing around."

Naruto was a freak about this place. There was no way that he'd just drop everything and leave with me. A small spark of determination had dropped into my chest at the idea of saving Hikari on my own, though. It was a perfect plan. I wasn't working against Konoha this time; rather I was working completely separate from it. There would be no reason for Naruto and Sakura to hunt me down…

"Did you not hear what I just said? Hikari is like a _sister _to me, Bastard, and if you're going to save her, then I am too!" he said, his teeth clenched in an attempt to keep quiet.

I scowled deeply, hissing, "What about Konoha? Would you really be branded a traitor _just_ to save Hikari?"

Naruto's face fell slightly, and I shook my head, certain that I had made him think. He really put his mouth before his brain sometimes; it was ridiculous to think that he of all people would even _dream _of–

"Those who break the rules are considered trash. But those who don't care for their comrades are even lower than that."

My head snapped up at Naruto's words. His cerulean blue eyes – the moonlight was no longer reflected on them, and they suddenly lost their resemblance to Hikari and became purely _Naruto_ – were almost stern, and for a moment I felt overshadowed by the strength of his words.

He was serious about this?

Naruto smirked at my expression. "Is that answer enough for you, Sasuke?"

"_Sakura_ is your comrade." I ground out, unable to accept Naruto's uncharacteristic change of heart. "She will be left alone, are you alright with that?"

"You're my comrade, too. And so is Hikari. Sakura's safer here, and that's all I want. I'll miss this place…and once we get Hikari back and kick this Madara guy's ass…I'll come back. Maybe I'll get put through the wringer by Granny, and everyone will hate me again…but I can deal with that. I've done it before."

Right then, for a split second, I wanted to tell him to stay. In Konoha, people wanted to protect him, they wanted to help him. Here, he had Sakura, Tsunade, Kakashi…so many who relied on him and loved him. On the run, with me, he would only have their disappointment, and their resentment that he had abandoned them in their time of deepest need in order to find a girl that wasn't even a Konoha kunoichi, but an enigma…an outsider.

But the more selfish side of me won out, and with a sigh of acquiescence, I nodded curtly. I could, and would, use his help…Hikari had a better chance of getting rescued with Naruto at my side. The idiot was a powerful shinobi, that much I could no longer ignore.

Now that the idea of finding Hikari was fresh in my mind, I wanted to leave as soon as possible. Nighttime would be the best time, there wouldn't be as many ninja to patrol, and there wouldn't be as many civilians bustling about. I pushed the covers off of me, suddenly aware that if we wanted to pull this off, I would have to – somehow – get a hold of weapons, clothes, food….

Naruto smirked, triumphant that he was won. "Way ahead of you, Bastard."

The blonde reached over and grabbed two large packs, and tossed one carefully to me. I caught it, and peered inside to see clothes, weapons, and other supplies ninja carried with them for long-term missions. I sent a glance his way. How long had he been planning this? I had been in and out of consciousness for a while, had it really been days? How had Naruto done all of this? He was an idiot, how in the _hell_ had he…

But I cut off my train of thought there. I didn't have time to think about how he had done it; we needed to move, and fast.

"Are you sure." I found myself asking, and my eyes couldn't help but drift to Sakura.

Naruto's eyes followed the direction of my gaze, and a pained look came upon his face. "I…I'm sure. The Akatsuki are still after me, so it's better this way. It'll lead the attention away from the village, and it'll give Granny Tsunade and the rest time to recover. Granny's in a coma," Naruto added, seeing the confusion on my face, and went on, "and who knows what the replacement's thinking in terms of the Jinchuuriki. I could be locked up for all I know! It's better this way…" Naruto repeated the phrase again, though this time I sensed that it wasn't said to assure me…it was to assure himself.

"You've had this planned out for a while." I muttered, pulling on the black shirt and strapping the weapons pouch and case to my hip and thigh, followed by a quick and quiet buckling of the snug shinobi sandals. Naruto nodded, stuffing his bright orange jacket into his bag. I saw that he had a black long sleeved shirt, as well as black trousers. He must have worn his orange jacket to keep Sakura from getting suspicious.

"Ever since yesterday morning. You were still out though, so I had to wait a bit." he said, tugging the drawstrings tight before standing up, swinging the bag onto his back. I slung the straps around my own shoulders, and watched as Naruto knelt beside the entrance of the tent, gazing out for several long seconds. I crouched beside him, careful to be silent, and joined him in looking outside.

The area that had been destroyed by Pain was flat and dead in its bareness, littered only by drab tents that held the survivors. There was no sound, no life, in the darkness that surrounded us, and the only reason we could see anything at all was because of the bright and pearly moon that shone over the trees in the distance. I searched for any signs of movement in the pattern of tents, and after a few painstaking minutes, I deemed it bereft of any life.

Naruto took a bit longer, but soon he stood, and the two of us slipped out of the tent. The air was chilly and crisp against my skin, and I couldn't help a slight shudder at the suddenness of it.

I was leaving Konoha once more. Only, this time, I had no doubts. No hidden insecurities, no hidden regrets. I was not sad, I was not regretful. For I knew that, unlike Naruto, I would not be returning to this place. My path – I had thought that my path was no longer in my hands after fulfilling my revenge, but now I realized that I couldn't be farther from the truth – was not within the walls, now mere rubble, of Konohagakure.

It was beyond.

Where beyond is, I can't say. For I don't know it myself, yet.

Naruto and I stood, silent, and I held out my arm. Naruto grabbed hold, his face somber as he took in what was left of his village, and in the split second before I used a teleportation jutsu, the boy looked back at the tent.

Then, the chakra surrounded us, filled us, and we were gone.

* * *

Suigetsu didn't know what to do.

It had been a few days since joining Madara, and Suigetsu had no idea as to how he was going to save Hika – no…she wasn't the same. Those blue-gray eyes weren't as fiery, the blonde hair wasn't the same shade of gold, the voice wasn't the same sharp pitch.

It was _Aiko_ now.

The name made Suigetsu's throat tighten in disgust, and the young man shook his head furiously as he concentrated on the girl before him. She sat on her bed, staring up at the clock with those blank eyes of hers, her mouth slightly twisted in a very disturbing way. Her hair was tied back in a loose pony-tail, and her long legs were crossed, elbows resting on her bent knees.

Suigetsu stared and stared, and yet did not say a word. Madara didn't trust him – Suigetsu would have been terrified if he had – and so had not-so-subtly placed a clone outside the room whenever Suigetsu was in Aiko's room. Madara had ordered Suigetsu to watch her, and so Suigetsu sure as hell wasn't about to disobey.

In truth, he wished he were anywhere but here.

Seeing the girl he loved – loved in the way that more emotionally stable people loved their closest friends – twisted into this…this _thing_ was disturbing, and it was only self-preservation that kept Suigetsu sitting in the chair opposite the bed. Aiko didn't spare him a glance, too enraptured by the annoying ticking that filled the cloying silence of the room. Suigetsu glanced at it, confused to as why she was so enamored by it.

It was an intricate structure, made of complicated curves and twists of wood and metal. Very expensive. The rest of the room was so plain that the clock seemed out of place, no, scratch that, it _was _out of place. Suigetsu wondered why Madara had bothered to put it there.

Aiko never once, in the entirety of the half-hour Suigetsu sat there, made a sound or moved a muscle.

Suigetsu suddenly couldn't stand it any longer, and stood, stretching with a grunt and nodding toward the still motionless Aiko.

"I'll see you later, beautiful."

She didn't respond, and Suigetsu was almost glad that she didn't. He averted his eyes from the thing that had once been his friend, and nearly sprinted out the door, deftly avoiding the clone standing outside the room.

Suigetsu was so hurried in his escape that he didn't catch the small frown the girl gave his retreating back, or the confused glance she bestowed upon the gaudy and overly decorative clock as it continued its endless rhythm.

* * *

_Tick. _

_Tock._

_Tick._

_Tock. _

_The clock never ceases its chime_

_and I feel the strangest urge to laugh _

_though the feeling soon disappears. _

_It is as quick and fleeting as a pinprick, _

_and as I sit here in my room, _

_so warm and so content,_

_only one question remains. _

_Why would I laugh? _

_I do not know who I am exactly._

_My beloved master, the one I adore,_

_gave me the lovely name Aiko. _

_The purple-eyed one never uses it, and_

_calls me 'beautiful', but does not mean it. _

_I do not tell Master, for reasons unknown_

_in the empty, blissful thoughts that are mine. _

_Mine, and mine alone. _

_And yet, as I write these strange, silly lines,_

_another question poses itself to me._

_A stupid question, one that is brushed aside _

_as easily as I brush aside the evil doers _

_my wise Master deems unworthy for life. _

_It rolls up and crashes upon the rocks, _

_and washes away just as easily. _

Are_ they mine? _


	4. Chapter 3

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait, I hope that this makes up for it somewhat!

**Am I doing alright characterization-wise?** Please let me know!

Enjoy, and **_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

_

* * *

Chapter 3_

"Why are we doing this again?"

The question was asked by a young, dark skinned woman with red hair that fell messily down her back. Her amber eyes were narrowed in annoyance, and she vented her irritation slightly by spitting viciously into the bushes to her right. Her two teammates – one with similar dark skin and white hair, the other with pale skin and blonde hair – both sighed as they stole amused looks at each other.

The young man took his lollipop out of his mouth, flashing a smug grin at his teammate as he teased, "You fell asleep _again_, Karui? That's, what, the third time now? Isn't that right, Samui?"

Samui rolled her blue eyes, and settled her gaze on the miles of trees ahead as she tuned out the sounds of Karui slamming her foot repeatedly into the young man's ankles.

"Shut up, Omoi! I do _not _fall asleep!"

Omoi chose – wisely – not to respond, instead answering her original question, wincing in pain as they walked along the well worn road leading to the village of Konoha.

"The Akatsuki already got Yugito-sama," Karui's face fell, and the three Kumogakure shinobi felt a chill settle over them at the statement. "and it's only a matter of time before they target Bee-sama. Konoha has the Nine Tailed Fox, so they're bound to have _some _information regarding the Akatsuki. Raikage-sama wants every bit of information that can help him eliminate the group."

Karui nodded, her annoyance dissipating as Omoi's words sunk in. The three walked in silence for the last few miles, and the blonde was grateful for the brief lapse of calm the silence brought. There had been so little silence lately, ever since Yugito-sama had been killed. Between the Raikage and his advisors arguing about the safety of Bee-sama and the nearby daimyo whining about the safety of themselves and their subjects; the village of Kumo had been anything but quiet.

The woman rolled her shoulders, hoping to ease the ache in her back. The nasty feeling had been there for several days now, something that Omoi assured he was a result of her rather large bust. Samui was too used to Omoi's barbless teasing that she hadn't even deemed his comment worthy of a reaction. Who knows…he could be right. Highly unlikely, but the chance was still there.

Samui's composure – usually so well-contained – had been pushed to the breaking point lately, what with the loss of Yugito-sama and the new responsibilities that had been placed upon her as a result. Something dangerous was brewing on the horizon, this the kunoichi knew, without having to ask. The only question was how long until it fully revealed itself.

The leader's eyes glanced up at the sky, seeing the flash of a dark hawk, its wings outstretched and a piercing cry filling the air. The blonde nodded curtly to the two beside her, and their eyes snapped up as well, just in time to see the creature disappear into the trees. There were several significant chakra pulses surrounding them from all sides, and Samui quickly gestured for Karui and Omoi – who had both unconsciously placed their hands on their weapons in preparation for a fight – to stand down.

The air was still and silent as several masked figures appeared out of the shadows – Samui assumed them to be the infamous Konohagakure ANBU. They looked beaten and worn, but the tense power to their figures left no room for doubt of their abilities. Samui held up her hands in a peaceful gesture, and called.

"We come to speak with your Hokage. A peaceful meeting, nothing more. I have here a signed letter from our Raikage…" she said, and motioned toward a scroll strapped to her hip, not daring to make any movements toward it, in case the ANBU mistook it as a threat.

The five figures, faces covered by masks depicting various animals, were impassive as they stared at the Kumo ninja before them. Samui did not fidget or frown; instead letting the foreign shinobi branch out their chakra without argument. It was common procedure to check for illusions or traps before bringing outside ninja into the village. The only thing that was itching at Samui's mind was the fact that, according to her map, they had reached Konoha.

If that was so…then where were the village walls? Where were the sounds of a ninja village? It was quiet, but the sense of calm that had accompanied the silence a few minutes ago was suddenly absent. Now, an uneasy feeling was beginning to creep into Samui's mind.

Where was Konohagakure? Were their maps – usually so precise – somehow inaccurate?

The blonde glanced at her teammates, wondering if she was the only one to have noticed the strangeness of the situation.

Karui was oblivious, her amber eyes narrowing as her irritation swelled up again, and after a few long moments she put an impatient hand on her hip. Omoi was unnerved by the silence, sucking thoughtfully on his candy as he eyed the tense ANBU with mild curiosity. But Samui noted – with a sense of relief – that his posture was slightly more tense than usual, and his eyes flickered around with a frown of confusion.

"Did something happen?" Omoi asked quietly, and the ANBU simultaneously turned their heads to look at him, in an eerily synchronized way that could only be the result of years of team experience. It was a mechanism of survival, similar to how birds all fly in a neat formation. When one bird turned, so did the rest. If one reacted to a threat, so did the rest. For shinobi, if one of them reacted to something, it was only natural for them to be so in-sync with each other that they all moved at the same time.

Omoi didn't flinch under the combined stares, instead fixing his dark eyes upon each of them in turn, pulling his lollipop out of his mouth with a loud _pop_. Samui inwardly cringed at his boldness, and was relieved when the ANBU ignored his question, instead turning to curtly nod in answer to her request.

One of them – the mask resembled a cat – stepped forward, and unrolled a large storing scroll, laying it on the grass. The same shinobi spoke a moment later, and the deep, neutral sound was unmistakably male.

"Please deposit all of your weapons. They will be returned to you when you leave the village."

* * *

Neji Hyuuga scowled deeply as he listened to the others' jabber loudly about what they thought was going to happen. It was just after dawn, and when Neji had emerged from his tent, he hadn't been surprised to see that the others were awake as well. The young shinobi leaned against a lone piece of rubble, watching as Kiba and Tenten argued furiously.

His eyes instinctively found the dark haired girl standing beside Shino, her pale eyes flickering around nervously, her fingers curling around the spot where she had been stabbed. Rage boiled in Neji's chest at the sight of that dark splotch of blood on Hinata Hyuuga's upper abdomen. His attention was pulled away from her wound though, as the girl in question asked a softly spoken question.

"Umm…why d-do you think the e-enemy wanted H-Hikari?"

It all went silent then, and the others stole looks at each other. Neji was glad to see that some of the faces were as stony as his probably was. Good. At least he wasn't the only one to distrust the girl. But other faces were filled with genuine worry, and that angered him to the point of making it known on his face. Neji had always been in control of his emotions, so for his anger to be this strong worried him. But he decided to ignore it for now, and instead made a mental note to meditate on it later.

Neji knew that his dislike for Hikari was a bit extreme, but he didn't find it in him to care. She had hurt Tenten far deeper than any wound ever could. Ever since that day, whenever they went on missions, Neji would awake in the middle of the night to find Tenten shivering and mumbling in obvious distress, her arms lashing out to fight off an invisible enemy. Tenten had never done that before, even on missions in which assassination was required.

At the thought, Neji's eyes were drawn to the girl, and he watched for a moment as she bit her lip in a pout of frustration, her chocolate brown eyes meeting Ino's for a moment before returning to the others, who were also waiting for someone to answer Hinata's question.

Tenten.

_Tenten_.

Neji hurriedly added those…_feelings_ to his mental note. This wasn't the time or place to wonder what exactly he felt for his weapon-obsessed teammate. In the dark depths of his thoughts, he secretly wondered if he'd _ever_ be able to safely consider his so-called feelings for Tenten. It was a daunting and – frankly – frightening prospect that Neji was not looking forward to.

"I don't know, Hina. All we know is that it was indeed a kidnapping…there was no way that Hikari would go with them _willingly_…" Kiba said quietly, his slanted eyes flickering around in order to gain some kind of confirmation.

Neji couldn't help but let out a small huff of disbelief at that, and he didn't back down even under the combined stares the group gave him. He crossed his arms slowly, and forced his face to remain blank and emotionless as he spoke.

"There's no way of knowing that for sure, Kiba."

Kiba's face darkened as he quietly snarled, "What are you saying? That she went with them of her own free will?"

"Perhaps. Kakashi was the only witness, and a nearly unconscious witness at that. To blindly trust his story without any suspicion would be foolish."

Kiba was fuming now, and pushed aside Hinata's restraining hands and marched up to Neji, who tensed. The Inuzuka boy got right up in Neji's face, and his nose twitched slightly as he sniffed slightly. His eyes were narrowed into slits, and Neji stared right back, refusing to be intimidated.

"I smell resentment on you, Hyuuga. You're not saying this to be logical, you're trying to get us all to hate on Hikari! Why should we listen to you?"

Neji flared, his calm cracking slightly as he spat, "Why should we listen to _you_? You're so wrapped up your stupid obsession with her that you can't even see her for what she really is!" Neji felt his voice rising in volume, and found himself egging the rage on, relieved to finally vent his anger for once in his life. "She's _the enemy_, and trying to think otherwise is idiocy at its worst. But that's no surprise, because you've proven your blatant idiocy by having a romantic involvement with her! I wouldn't be surprised if she's giving information about our village to Madara right now, because that's the kind of person she is! Selfish, arrogant, and _dangerous_. But even _that _doesn't register with you! You'll keep pining over her, even when–"

"Neji, enough!" Tenten barked, silencing Neji effectively. Her face was calm, but everyone else's faces were ashen and shocked, and Neji realized that in his anger, he had abandoned his self-control and was practically screaming into the air.

A cool flush of embarrassment filled him, but he refused to let it show. Kiba was staring at him with pure hatred, and Neji prepared himself as Kiba tensed–

"Guys!" a familiar voice – filled with panic – yelled, breaking the strained silence, and Kiba reluctantly turned his head toward the sound. Neji looked over the boy's shoulder to see Sakura Haruno running over to where the group was situated, her hair mussed from sleep and her face frantic and paler than normal.

Hinata, whose hands had risen to cover her mouth at Neji's outburst, blinked rapidly at the expression on the medic's usually cheerful face. "Sakura-chan, what's w-wrong?"

Sakura bent over, gulping for breath, her emerald eyes flickering around them in search for something.

"Sasuke's…he's…he's gone!"

Not much of a surprise there, Neji thought, giving Kiba a smug sneer. Hikari and Sasuke were the same in that respect. Both had no sense of loyalty, and just came and went as if they–

"…and so is Naruto!"

Neji's thought process was wrenched to an abrupt halt, and he, along with several others, were shocked into speech.

"_What_?"

* * *

Danzō paced along the shadows of the underground tunnel, his face lighted only by the candle present on the table. The orange light sent rings of eerie illumination on the sturdy earthen walls, and Danzō examined the rings for a moment before resuming his graceless pacing.

The passageway was so far underground that it had been practically untouched by the explosion, and for that Danzō was grateful. He needed somewhere to think without the suspicions and badgering of the jounin and chuunin.

Tsunade was in a coma.

The light of the candle sputtered slightly, but regained its stability after a few agonizing moments.

It wasn't as good as the original plan – her being out of the picture all-together – but it would do. For now, anyway.

Danzō knew what had to be done. He had been planning it for several years now, and the invasion of Pain provided the perfect opportunity. Konohagakure had become weak over the years, as a result of the spineless leaders that were so accustomed to peace. This, and this alone, was the reason that Konoha had been the target of so many crippling attacks. The other villages were catching wind of Konohagakure's weakness, and they would be foolish not to take advantage of the lapse in military strength.

Tsunade's displacement would be for the greater good. Under Danzō, Konoha would become great once more, and would oversee all the rest with merciless eyes of power and of prestige. Danzō had to just convince the Fire Country Daimyo to place him in as Tsunade's "temporary" replacement, and all would fall into place. Tsunade would quietly die – it would be a quick death, a "result of the chakra exertion", with no connections to Root and/or Danzō – and Danzō would be free to reform Konohagakure.

The greater good.

It was all for the greater good.

The only problem was that the Naruto boy was missing. Probably off with the Uchiha to rescue the Uchiha's lover…what was her name again? Hikari? Ah yes, that was it. This new development put a horrible wedge into Danzō's plan, but it was of no matter. The man had a plan, as he always did.

When he became the replacement – there was no doubt in Danzō's mind, he _would_ be Hokage, even if he had to kill in order to achieve it – the first thing he would do would be to record both Sasuke Uchiha and Hikari as missing-nin, marked for assassination-on-sight.

It was disgustingly simple. Simply weaving the tale that Sasuke had kidnapped Naruto in order to exchange the Nine Tailed Fox for Hikari's life would be easy, and even easier was the idea that Hikari herself had willingly joined Akatsuki. There was only one witness to her kidnapping, if his sources were correct. Only one witness was present to her kidnapping, and even then his story was suspicious, seeing as he was practically unconscious at the time.

But Danzō refused to take any chances. That one witness would have to be eliminated, the only thing left was finding out the identity of the witness. That wouldn't be hard to investigate…especially once he was Hokage.

It was all for the greater good, so that the potential of Konohagakure would finally become a reality.

Danzō smiled, a horrible, excited smile, and with a wave of his hand, the candle was extinguished. Nothing was visible, and Danzō's retreating footsteps were swallowed up by the darkness.


	5. Chapter 4

Hey! Sorry, it's been so long! It took a while to get back into this, and I hope that you guys arent disappointed!

Enjoy, and **_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

_

* * *

Chapter 4_

The silence was beginning to grate at my nerves, something that shocked me beyond belief. Usually, silence was my sanctuary; it allowed me time to think without any irritating disturbances. Before leaving Sound, silence was my greatest weapon, because it made me an enigma, more dangerous for the fact that no one could guess my motives.

But now, my thoughts were plagued with thoughts of those long days training with Hikari in Sound, haunted by the memory of her voice, a voice that was low and slightly raspy, a voice that was more familiar than the sound of my own. I was left alone in the dark, struggling to stay afloat, struggling to find something – _anything _– to keep me from sinking into the abyss of madness.

In an attempt to distract me from my thoughts, I stole a glance at the boy beside me.

The idiot, his hair glimmering in the streaks of sunlight that pierced the thick canopy of leaves overhead, was a stranger. I had always assumed that he was just an idiot; how could I have been so blind? Now, as I stared at him, I realized that I wasn't blind, not really.

This Naruto…it was the side of him he chose to hide. Why, though? To help others feel better about themselves? To make himself feel better? Or was it just in Naruto's nature to be his usual idiot self until someone he cared about was in danger?

It just went to prove that in reality, I didn't know Naruto as well as I thought I did. I claimed to know everything about him, but in reality…I knew _nothing_.

His face was – to my relief – as transparent as always, his unease and his determination obviously displayed on his features, and he didn't spare me a glance as we ran along the branches. Cerulean eyes flickered up to the late afternoon light that streamed in through the branches, and nearly an hour of tense silence passed before we took a break, and it was the that Naruto chose to cut though the silence.

"What do you know about this Madara guy, anyway?" the boy asked, his blue eyes staring at me over the top of his plastic water bottle.

I let out a sigh, and sat down beside him, sipping at my own water as a cool breeze blew refreshingly through the trees. "I don't know much," I said, and Naruto's face fell. "but from what I do know, I can give a fair guess that he's the one behind the attack on Konoha."

"You mean that he's the leader of the Akatsuki people? I thought that Pain was!" the blonde said indignantly, and his voice impossibly confused, and I gave him a glare to silence him.

"Well, you were wrong, idiot. Pain was just a puppet. Now that he's gone, I don't doubt that Madara's planning something bigger."

"What _is_ he planning, do you think?"

"My brother told me that Madara wanted to be the leader of Konoha back in the time of the First Hokage, but was defeated. This led him to abandon the ninja villages, and start his own organization, whose main purpose is to collect the Tailed Beasts. I don't know what his plans are, but a ninja that powerful…" I trailed off, my mind frantically processing that idea.

Hikari was with that man.

That horrible, powerful, evil man who had tried to turn me against my older brother, who had instigated the attack on Konoha with no thought for the innocent people killed in the process.

"_Because I wondered what it would be like to kiss you." _

Why was _that _memory suddenly overshadowing everything? It wasn't the first time a female had told me how "kissable" I was. It wasn't the first time a girl's eyes had risen up shyly to meet mine, sending a pang of reluctant smugness running through me, a feeling felt even back in my genin days. So why was that time with Hikari so significant?

Maybe it was the way her voice lowered to an uncharacteristic – undeniably appealing in it's softness – whisper at the word "kiss"…maybe it was because of the way her eyes seemed even bluer in the rain, as they always did.

Maybe it was because although I had been spoken to like that before, no one could reach my innermost feelings like Hikari could. She had it perfected down to an art, and it both pleased and terrified me.

Naruto seemed to sense my unease, because he gave me a small smile. "It's alright, Bastard. We'll get Hikari back, I promise." I didn't answer, and the blonde leaned back against the tree, his eyes staring up in concentration. "I mean, Madara wouldn't go to that much trouble to capture her alive if he was just gonna _kill _her. And that fish guy with the huge sword went with them, so–"

"Suigetsu?"

Suigetsu was with Hikari? Why would he–

But as quickly as the question formulated in my mind, it was answered. Of course Suigetsu would want to follow Hikari…the girl was his friend. Just like Naruto had never given up on me, Suigetsu would never give up on Hikari. As long as he didn't blow his cover, she was safe.

It didn't suppress the urge to scream and cry as a result of failing in keeping Hikari safe, but it helped me reign in the insane rage that threatened to unleash itself at any time. I could handle this. I was strong enough…I was strong enough…

My face must have revealed some of my turmoil, because Naruto spoke once more, his voice purposefully obnoxious – or so it seemed to my raw nerves.

"Where are we headed?"

I forced myself to focus. This was vengeance. Plain and simple. This was my area of expertise; this is where I excelled. It was – no matter how I tried to deny it to Hikari and myself – the part of me that felt most natural; the hatred, the feeling of pure, unadulterated loathing. It was a friend – a dark, terrible, and yet comforting friend – that had been by my side when no one else had.

_"You've done all you can do for your family…now it's time to let them go. Let them rest, Sasuke."_

Hikari's words were the truth. At least…I desperately _wanted_ them to be.

But under all the joy I felt with Hikari, under the tentative friendship I had re-kindled with Sakura and Naruto…a dark inkling of doubt was festering. Every time I thought about those…those two _monsters_ that dared call themselves part of a "Council" – the word was much too humane, it contained too many good connotations for it to be linked to such abominations – a monster inside of my breast roared and screamed its mournful agony. I wanted to kill them. Not cleanly, humanely, or even quickly. I didn't want to kill them as a farmer wished to kill the suffering horse whose leg was so mangled that letting it live would be submitting it to a lifetime of agony.

I wanted to watch them _scream _in pain. I wanted to ingrain into their pathetic minds some of the horror that they had instilled into my older brother's life. I wanted them to burn, burn, burn and fucking _die _a million times over, and to Hell with where that would leave the stability of my own soul! I would take an eternity of Hell or whatever lay beyond. I would gladly serve my time there…as long as the Council members would be enjoying it right alongside me.

The feeling was only comparable to the mind-numbing rage that had filled me back in my fight with Itachi, when he had told me that Hikari was dead. There had been no bluff in those crimson eyes, no lie, and no mercy.

It was…rage like I had never felt before. To describe it with mere _words _would be pointless. I won't even bother trying.

I looked up at Naruto, and struggled to contain myself.

"We'll head west, toward the sea. There's something I have to do."

* * *

The air was still. There were no birds, no sounds beyond those of the recovering ninja village. Sakura Haruno and Kakashi Hatake stared silently into the endless maze of trees, his hands stuck deep in his pockets, her hands held loosely by her sides. They were both looking for the same thing, and both of them knew that that thing – or more specifically, the two original male members of Team 7 – would not appear no matter how much they wished it to. The tents were far behind them; there was no chance of being overheard, and that was an atmosphere they both cherished.

Sakura was done crying, but Kakashi could still smell them, just behind her eyelids and threatening to spill over at any minute. He always hated the smell of tears, especially when detected in the eyes of his former pink-haired student. They tugged at his chest and made him want to stoke his fingers over the deeply carved letters that made up his best friend's name.

But…then Kakashi remembered. The memorial stone was gone too.

The headstone was rubble now, and with it the almost tangible presence of Kakashi's best friend. No longer would Kakashi be able to visit the memorial stone that would inevitably be rebuilt, for it would not be the same. It would be a memorial stone, but it was not the same memorial stone that a teenage Kakashi had knelt before on the day that they carved Obito's name. Kakashi would look at it, and see it just as it was, a lump of cold, bitter stone that held nothing but countless names.

Kakashi's single gray eye was dark and brooding, and the sudden breeze that blew against his back tousled his hair gently. On the wind was the scent of a familiar soldier, and Kakashi turned to face him. There was no one around; most were grouped together at the meeting room found atop the Hokage Monuments. The temporary replacement for the title of Hokage – Tsunade was still deep in a coma – was being chosen right about now.

Kakashi knew that he should be there; it was his duty as an elite jounin. But somehow…the desire to obey rules fluttered just outside his reach. Sakura, overcome by loneliness, had left the comforting cocoon Ino and Hinata provided, and had joined Kakashi in his hopeless vigil. The jounin didn't say anything, but the fact that she had chosen to stand by his side made him want to smile.

Sakura had always been loyal, and that showed now more than it ever had. _This _was the young woman Sakura had always been destined to become, and Kakashi couldn't have been prouder as she turned with Kakashi to face the approaching ninja, her eyes the same vibrant green and full of life as the leaves as they danced on their branches.

Sai stood there, his dark eyes flickering from Sakura to Kakashi quickly. Kakashi tensed as the scent of nervousness reached him, and Sakura glanced at him in confusion. Kakashi ignored her, and Sai spoke softly.

"I'm…not supposed to tell you this," he said slowly, his eyes staring steadily into Sakura's eyes. Her face furrowed in heightened confusion, and the boy went on. "but I couldn't…I couldn't _not_ warn you, Hatake-sama."

"What're you going on about, Sai?" Sakura asked sharply, her wariness increased by Kakashi's inexplicable tenseness. Kakashi didn't know why he was so on edge, but he had a bad feeling about what Sai was about to tell him. The boy's scent was uncharacteristically nervous and wary, as if he was expecting to get caught any second. That sent alarms in Kakashi's head, and Kakashi always – _always _– trusted his gut when it came to situations like this.

"I…" Sai paused, and then hissed it all in one breath. "My leader wishes to see you dead. When he is elected the temporary Hokage…" His eyes never left Kakashi's. "…it is the job of Root to eliminate you."

Kakashi felt a rapid shock of disbelief pulse through him, and Sakura gasped in shock, stepping forward threateningly while at the same time putting herself in between Kakashi and Sai. Sai, having felt the power of her punches numerous times before, took an automatic step back.

"What the hell? Why would he do that? Kakashi is _on our side_!"

Kakashi put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Enough, Sakura."

Sakura gaped up at him. "How can you just _calmly_–" she stammered, but immediately quieted at the quelling glare Kakashi gave her. Sai was still holding his hands up in surrender, and his eyes glanced at Sakura before returning to the silver-haired jounin.

"Danzō feels that Sasuke Uchiha and the girl Hikari have become too much of a threat to his plans. The girl now in Madara's hands – a willing act on her part, Danzō plans to say, and therefore your death, as the only witness to her kidnapping, is essential. Sasuke and Naruto are also gone – Danzō plans to frame Sasuke for the act of kidnapping Naruto in order to exchange the power of the Nine Tailed Fox for Hikari's life. He plans to mark Sasuke and Hikari both as missing-nin, both assassination-on-sight cases."

Sakura's green eyes had grown wider and wider as Sai went on, and now she burst out in a shriek of fury. "But even if Danzō _does _become Hokage, he's just a replacement! Replacements don't have that kind of power! How can he hope to…?" she trailed off, her eyes narrowing in concentration, hands clenched in an effort to remain still.

But Kakashi was slowly beginning to realize how exactly Danzō expected to gain complete power. It would be so easy, no would even begin to _suspect _that Tsunade's sudden death was forcibly induced. She was already so close to death as it was…

Kakashi stared at Sakura, willing her to understand, and it was at that moment that it pieced itself together in her mind. Her eyes widened, and her hands flew to her mouth.

"_No_!"

In a flash, the girl was sprinting to the medical tents, chakra glowing around her feet to hasten her travel. Kakashi caught the mournful scent of her tears, finally spilling over her eyes at the sudden horrifying idea that Danzō might be trying to murder her beloved sensei.

Kakashi was left staring at Sai, who was staring at him just as intently. There was silence for a few moments, and Kakashi took that moment to glance around them. They were completely alone, and his eye narrowed ever so slightly.

"Why did you tell me this, Sai? You're under Danzō as well, shouldn't you be following orders?"

"Danzō is not yet in office, and he clearly stated for the action to occur _after_ he came into the title. He also forgot to enforce the secret with my seal, most likely because of his focus on winning the election. Also, I seem to have become something of a nobody to Danzō lately, not one he would think able to betray him. Not that I'm complaining." Sai said, shrugging his shoulders ever so slightly.

Kakashi glanced toward the forest, and Sai held up a hand. "Don't tell me of your plans. If Danzō decides to ask of your disappearance, I can't have any information about you to give."

Kakashi nodded, and Sai slipped off his pack, handing it to Kakashi carefully, his eyes flickering to the Hokage Monuments. Now is the best time, while everyone is distracted, the boy's eyes seemed to say.

The jounin didn't need to be told twice. He slung the pack over his shoulder, and nodded briskly to Sai.

"Thank you, Sai. Keep Sakura safe, please."

Sai smiled in that strange way of his, and Kakashi took that as an affirmation. The jounin turned, and put his hands together. Sasuke and Naruto couldn't have gone far, and Kakashi could use his dogs to track them if they had. He needed to warn them; he wasn't going to stand back and let people precious to him walk into danger.

Not this time.

The last thing he saw before the jutsu consumed him was the stone-carved face of his deceased sensei, Minato Namikaze.

And then, everything was gone.


	6. Chapter 5

Hey! Here's the next chapter!

Hope you all like it, and if you have any questions or comments...

**_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

_

* * *

Chapter 5_

Juugo sat in the medium sized tent, his large hands resting lightly on his knees. The mat was firm under his legs, but somehow he could not find a comfortable position, and therefore fidgeted almost constantly. His reddish-amber eyes flickered to the entrance once more, and his fingers traced nervously over the skin present on the back of his left hand. His wrists were bare, and felt oddly bare, seeing as they had been constantly restrained by large chakra repressors until only a few days ago.

Karin was dying. It was a pure, unadulterated fact, and yet Juugo wished for nothing more than to disregard the severity. Karin was always so…_energetic_, she couldn't be dying.

At least, that was the mindset Juugo carried until he visited yesterday, and saw her lying there in the tent next to the one he shared with several wary medic-nin…lifeless and barely breathing. Her usually flushed cheeks were pale and tinged a faint gray; her hair tangled in a midst of dust and dried blood. The only sign of life was the pulse that ticked weakly in her neck.

According to the medic in charge of Karin, the girl had been struggling to defend herself against an animal summon when a building beside her suddenly exploded. The force of the explosion had thrown her back, and a large shard of glass had pierced her chest, missing her heart by the barest of an inch. If she hadn't been found when she had – a pair of ANBU came across her just moments after the building exploded – she would have died. At least now she had a chance. A slim chance, but a chance nonetheless, and Juugo clung to it desperately.

He had been in the hospital when Pain began his attack.

* * *

_Juugo sighed as he felt the pretty pink-haired nurse's chakra wash over him, easing the itch of his seal as it tried to activate. He concentrated on the smell of her hair – a clean, warm scent – and the comfort of her body heat as she bent over him to focus her attention on the back of his neck, where the cursed seal was located. The chakra suppressors were absent from his wrists, as it was necessary for his chakra flow to be normal, in order to effectively gather information on Juugo's chakra flow and its relation to his mental instability. _

_His eyes shyly flickered up to glance at her face, which was pursed into a frown of concentration as she carefully did her work. According to her, Juugo's chemical imbalance was beginning to realign itself, and if they were lucky, after another month of daily treatment, Juugo would be able to begin the waning of medication dosage. The process of eliminating the need for drugs altogether would be a long one, but it could be done, and that made Juugo happier than he could properly convey. No longer would he have to worry about that dark side of his mind flashing before his eyes, whispering and hissing as it took control. No longer would he have to hide away in fear of hurting those he cared for. _

_Juugo could finally be free. _

_He had gone to Orochimaru to be free of the curse, and instead another curse had been placed upon him. It succeeded in making his life a living hell instead of a hell present only in his unstable mind. Mindless sadness coupled with the indescribable fear of losing control, the constant darkness and emptiness of his cell…it was all horribly lonely. _

_And then, the door had opened, and the face of Sasuke Uchiha had appeared before his eyes. The boy that Kimimaro talked about, the boy that Juugo's dearest friend had died for. This was Sasuke Uchiha. _

_But of course, he was in his dark state then, and of course these thoughts didn't appear until after his fit of rage had subsided. It wasn't until Hikari gently took his hand that he realized that he didn't have to stay in his cell forever. Sasuke Uchiha could control him with his Sharingan…he could make everything better. _

_The nurse's chakra touched a particularly sensitive spot within Juugo's curse seal, and he shifted slightly in discomfort. The young woman smiled in apology, moving so she wasn't causing him any pain. _

"_I'm sorry, Juugo. I'll be more careful from now on," the girl said apologetically, patting his arm consolingly before returning to her work._

_Juugo knew the girl's name. He knew it and he longed to use it. But something held him back. Names were significant; they placed an emotional connection with the person, a connection that could be dangerous. She had told him her name, in that warm, confidant way that reminded him strangely of Hikari – a sudden feeling of loneliness flushed through him, and he realized that it had been nearly a month since they had last seen each other – but Juugo refused to say it out loud._

_She was so precious…much too beautiful to be tainted by a friendship with a mentally imbalanced monster like him. Her innocence was so bright and soft, warmer than even Hikari's was. Hikari was darker, more weathered, and her eyes held a deep underlying shadow, the shadow of experience that was present in Suigetsu's eyes, in the Sharingan user with silver hair's eyes, and in Sasuke's eyes. _

_It hurt him to see this pure, innocent little creature smile at him, because he knew that he was growing attached, and that was a huge mistake for someone like him. The only reason he allowed himself to get close to Hikari was because he knew Sasuke would be able to stop him. Here, alone with the pink-haired nurse…there was nothing to stop him. _

_She was strong, stronger than he would have expected for someone so impossibly delicate – when he stood up, he literally towered over her, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulder. But not strong enough. If he had his chakra, Juugo could overpower her relatively easily. _

_Juugo didn't understand the feelings that welled up as the girl moved away, wiping a bit of sweat off of her brow and beaming at him. It was a feeling unlike anything that he had ever felt before. Rage and regret were common emotions for Juugo, but the emotion that welled up at the sight of the pink-haired girl's emerald-green eyes sparkling in contentment, her full lips parting in a soft smile…it was all so confusing. _

_But he was happy with the confusion. It made him feel warm, cared for…at peace. _

_The girl scratched away at her clipboard, and then gently pulled Juugo's shirt up over his seal. "Alright, you're all done, Juugo. I hope that it didn't hurt much." _

_Her voice was so clear and beautiful…and Juugo blinked several times before he found the courage to sully the ethereal purity of the air in which her voice sounded. _

"_I'm fine. Thank you." _

_The light of the sun shined on her hair as she ran her fingers through it, and Juugo sucked in a silent breath as she scent of her shampoo wafted over his senses. Those feelings were swelling up again, stronger this time. He felt the bizarre urge to pull her to him, and press his face into the crook of her neck. What was wrong with him? _

_Suddenly, there was a boom, and the entire hospital shook. The girl stumbled, and Juugo was by her side in an instant, his hands – he marveled at how large they were compared to her tiny ones – gently touching her shoulders to steady her. She thanked him, and rushed to the window. _

_Juugo followed her, and his eyes widened as he saw large and malicious-looking animal summons destroying the village, their eyes purple and eerie as they roared and screamed. The girl's tiny hands – their diminutive size, not betraying any of her insane strength, never ceased to fascinate Juugo – clenched in fury, and Juugo stared down at her as she turned to face him. _

"_Juugo…" _

_He could sense the concern in her eyes, his natural intuition at reading the emotions of animals assisting him in pulling the unspoken question from her mind. _

"_This is the only place where I have felt truly in control of myself. I will stay, and I will fight…with you," he said, his voice faltering somewhat toward the end of his statement, but fortunately the girl didn't comment on it, instead staring into his eyes for a moment longer. _

"_Alright…" she murmured, and after another long moment of searching Juugo's face, she went on, "If we're being attacked, then we need to start evacuating patients. There are emergency teleportation scrolls available on all floors, but there are only so many patients that can be teleported at one time. You need to help the medics by gathering the patients of each floor into the lobby, so that teleportation will be made easier. If the animal summons reach the hospital…" _

_Juugo nodded, and she made to go, but stopped suddenly. Her eyes – so vibrant in the light of the sun – held his for a long, strangely impacting moment. She seemed confused, and Juugo joined her in the confusion when her fingers came into contact with the back of his hand. Juugo felt a flush of warmth, and decided that he liked the feeling of her fingers on his skin. They were calloused and rough, and Juugo could feel the raised scars littered across the surfaces of them. They held impossible strength, and yet now, they were uncharacteristically hesitant. _

"_Be safe, please," she said softly. _

_And then she was gone. _

_

* * *

_

Samui sat quietly near the entrance of the tent, watching silently as the pink-haired medic – she introduced herself as Sakura Haruno – fussed over the comatose Hokage of Konohagakure. Omoi and Karui were outside, both questioning jounin about what exactly had occurred. Samui was more interested in the condition of the Hokage, and the information this young apprentice of said Hokage might hold concerning the Akatsuki.

Sakura's eyes were worried beyond words, and the anxiety was clear in the way she kept running her hands over her sensei, hands glowing with healing chakra in order to check the older woman's vitals. There was something wrong, and Samui could sense it. But duty overpowered curiosity, and instead of asking why the young woman was so scared, she settled for asking the question expected by the Raikage.

The medic looked up, her eyes focusing on Samui. "The Akatsuki?"

Samui nodded, repeating, "Do you have any information we can use?" Sakura's eyes lowered to her hands, and she nodded slowly, her fingers interlacing as she began to take deep breaths.

"They're trying to capture the Jinchuuriki, but I'm sure you know that," she said, and Samui didn't bother replying, instead studying the girl as she continued. "There are ten members in total, six of which are dead, and one of which recently defected. Their leader is Madara Uchiha. The whereabouts of the other two members are currently unknown. Madara…he…" the girl faltered, and Samui's eyes narrowed.

"What is it?"

"He recently captured a girl named Hikari…she was traveling with Sasuke for at least a year before his return to the village. She lived in Sound for a time, and therefore when they came to Konoha we immediately had her chakra restrained."

Samui nodded. Such behavior toward a Sound-nin – whether currently a Sound-nin or not, the threat still remained – was logical, and she waited for Sakura to continue.

"We don't know why he captured her, but I have a feeling that it was to get back at Sasuke for not joining Akatsuki. I don't think she's dead…but I…"

The Konoha medic seemed unable to continue.

Samui stared at the girl, her ice-blue eyes focusing on equally vivid green ones, and Sakura finally continued, "I think that's why Sasuke and Naruto left…to go look for her."

Samui sighed, "So…you're saying that the girl is with Madara now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is she on his side?"

Sakura's eyes lowered. "I…I'd like to think that she's fighting him. She's strong; if anyone could fight him mentally it would be her. But I've also studied extensively on the capabilities of the Sharingan, and so I know better than to imagine that he's just going to physically force her to obey."

"You think there is a chance that her mind has been tampered with?" Samui asked, and the Konoha medic nodded. "So is it safe to say that if we find this girl, we will find Madara?" When Sakura nodded once more, Samui rose to her feet, and bowed her head to the girl before exiting the tent.

The key to finding the leader of the Akatsuki was finding this girl…Hikari, her name was. This was important information, and Samui knew that she and her team must leave as soon as possible in order to relay the message back to their Raikage. Omoi and Karui were speaking to the replacement Hokage about the Raikage's message, and she waved them over silently.

"We're leaving now," the blonde said, and Omoi nodded somberly, his expression strikingly different from the open relief that Karui showed on her face. The younger woman was relieved, and stretched her arms over her head.

"Finally! All this depressing death stuff is making my head hurt…"

Omoi rolled his eyes, speaking to Samui quietly, "We managed to get some information on the Jinchuuriki and the Uchiha kid; apparently the Uchiha is now on the assassination list for kidnapping the Nine Tailed Fox…and something about a lover…I have it all in this file. Did you learn anything?"

Samui nodded, and the three made their way toward the entrance of the village.

They would retrieve their weapons, and then head out. It would take a week or so to reach their village, and then the Raikage would plan their next course of action. Samui looked up at the clear blue sky, and her eyes darkened in slight melancholy.

She missed the shadowy blanket of clouds and thunder that usually cloaked the sky of Kumogakure. She always grudgingly accepted the fact that there was hardly ever any blue sky and sweet sunshine in her village.

She was not unhappy there; for it was all she knew, and yet she could not help but wonder what it would be like to live somewhere where the air was _dry _and the sky was _free _of any electricity. What would the hot summer sun feel like on her skin?

Now, as she stared at the blank blue sky…Samui wished for nothing more than for the heavens to darken and the comforting rumble of thunder fill the air. Back home, at least, the air was always making noise, so she never felt truly alone with her thoughts. There, the water refreshed her senses and the electricity made her skin tingle pleasantly.

Here, in Konohagakure, the air was dry, yes, but it was lonely. There was no sound…there was only the faint rustling of leaves, and even that sound was dull and predictable. There was no pesky rain to avoid, but there was also an unpleasant stickiness of sweat that coated her skin as a result of the relentless sun.

Samui knew that her feelings of unrest weren't just a result of homesickness.

Something was going to happen. Something big, something evil, and something that would change the fate of the world of shinobi.

The blonde had always known that Kumogakure was a place of comfort, a place bereft of fear. It was the place in which she had grown up, where she had spent years exploring the mountains and caves surrounding the village, a sort of playground for her, a place of security. It was the place she loved, and would die to protect. Before now, Samui had never imagined that anything bad would happen to her homeland. She would never have to die for it, because what could happen?

But now, as she stared up at the sky, and glanced back at the decimated village of Konoha…she knew with perfect clarity that this time, even Kumogakure would not be able to avoid what was soon to strike.

A single hawk, proud and strikingly alone, soared silently above them, a speck of black in the ocean of blue sky, and Samui watched it until it vanished over the hills of endless trees.


	7. Chapter 6

here's the next chapter! I'm so sorry for the shortness of my chapters! I'll try to make them longer, or at least update faster...hmm...

It was so weird, when i was writing the second half of this chapter, I was listening to Glee's "Last Christmas" which was accidentally on repeat. So while reading the second half, know that i was listening to a Christmas song, full on sleigh bells and stuff. I dont know whether it affected the chapter...i doubt it, but i just thought it was kind of funny how completely opposite the feel to the song and this chapter are.

Okay, enough of that...enjoy!

**_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

_

* * *

Chapter 6_

Suigetsu wasn't ashamed to admit that he had enjoyed destroying the tiny village before him. It was a waste of space, really. At the most, there were thirty people occupying it. The huts were slowly smoldering into ash, and Suigetsu's nose wrinkled as the smell of roasting flesh – human flesh, from the bodies still in the structures – was projected into the air along with the smoke.

A few of the members had decided to try and destroy some of the entrances into Madara's base, and Madara had immediately caught them, and ordered the entire village burned to the ground. It was currently doing that, the village only a few miles away from Madara's base. But Suigetsu wasn't concerned with the threat of it spreading…the elements would soon take care of the fire.

The sky was beginning to swell with dark clouds, and the white-haired ninja looked up with a frown, his pointed teeth biting into his lip as he grumbled. There were dead bodies everywhere, and Suigetsu yanked a reasonably clean shirt off of one of the decapitated men – not even a ninja, and so Suigetsu had to give him some credit for standing up and fighting – and started wiping the blood off of his large blade. Once he was done, he strapped it back into the leather holder on his back.

"It's time to move out," Suigetsu called over his female companion, and he wasn't surprised at the silence that answered him. She would be getting up now, moving to stand beside him. She would say nothing; just stare ahead with those blank eyes. It was always like that with Aiko. If she did speak, it was only to Madara…and with such an adoring tone that whenever she used it, Suigetsu had to find an excuse to leave the room.

He hated her. He _hated_ this thing that had replaced his friend with seemingly no effort. It had been two weeks since her capture, and every day had been torture. He would give anything – _anything_ – to go back in time. Do something different, ignore the stupid animal summon and instead focus on finding and making sure _she _was safe.

Suigetsu couldn't say the name.

He couldn't speak the name, because if he did…he would snap.

Suigetsu waited to hear the sounds of her footsteps, and when they didn't come, he let out a gusty sigh of irritation. He turned, and saw her kneeling beside something on the bloodied street. Her hair was pristine and perfect as always, and seeing it made Suigetsu even angrier. _Her_ hair would have been tangled and tousled because she wasn't exactly flawless at executing attacks, _her _hair would have been messy and beautiful because she didn't care about looks.

But Aiko's hair was flawless. She brushed it for at least ten minutes each morning, because Madara said he liked the way it caught the light after being brushed. And Aiko would do anything to please her master. Her hair was wavy, but it was too well put together, too perfect. And her hands…not a speck of blood on them, not a blot or scratch marring her pale green shirt and black pants. Nothing out of place…and yet she had killed just as many people as he had. More even, if he counted the infants. They were too small and weak for Suigetsu to take any pleasure in killing, and so he left that to her.

This perfection in the act of killing was something that belonged to Aiko alone, and Suigetsu hated it.

"Hey, did you hear me? I _said_, let's…" the young man growled, and his voice trailed off into nothing. Suigetsu's purple eyes stared at the girl before him, unable to speak, unable to look away.

Aiko's eyes were uncharacteristically focused on the face of one of the dead children, one of numerous bodies that littered the street.

It was a little boy, not more than eight years of age, with spiky black hair and vacant black eyes. The terrified tears he had shed when alive were still present on his ashen cheeks, and Suigetsu remembered that this was one of the children he had slashed open with his sword. The shoulder was partially severed from the body, and was still oozing blood.

Aiko was kneeling close to the body, her hands clenched on her bent knees as if restraining the urge to touch. There was a strange tenseness to her features, as if she was struggling to form the shapeless contours that made up her face into some sort of definable expression. Her eyes glittered in the rippling flames that flickered and spat embers just ten feet away, and her mouth was slightly open, her teeth glimmering in the bright firelight.

Suigetsu couldn't find the urge to snap at her, because her expression fascinated him. Why was she so concerned with this child? It was one of countless others, what was so special about this one?

Her hair spilled over her shoulder as she bent down, and with the fire burning around her. Suigetsu saw – for the briefest of moments – not a human kunoichi, but instead an angel of death, bending over her victim with her long hair blowing back like a deadly halo of gold. But then, it began to rain, and the visage was dispelled as the first drop of cold water collided with Suigetsu's skin.

"Rain, rain, go away…"

Aiko's voice was so soft that for a second, Suigetsu thought that the sound had been merely the rustle of leaves as the rain hit them. But she spoke again, and this time there was no doubt that it was indeed words that were being emitted, in that slow, lifeless tone of hers.

"…come again another day…"

Her fingers were reaching out to touch the child's cheek, and she seemed oblivious to the icy sheets that were currently pouring down over her head. For the first time, a frown was marring her brow, and Suigetsu spoke, more gently than he had intended.

"It's time to go."

"Rain, rain…go _away_…" she whispered to the little boy, and Suigetsu finally put a hand on her arm, pulling her to her feet. The girl didn't refuse, but a small whimper of discontent left her throat as she stared down at the child. He was broken and small in the dirt that was quickly being converted to mud, and Suigetsu glanced at the girl, and tugged her away.

"Let's go."

"Away?" she repeated plaintively, her voice turning up at the end to make it a question. Suigetsu stared down into her oval face, into her evenly distributed features that could be considered identical to those of a spunky, rather stubborn kunoichi who had been speaking to him just three weeks ago. To Suigetsu, the features of Aiko were nothing, _nothing_ like the features of his lost friend. They were warped, smoothed out, and stripped of the brightness Suigetsu had treasured in _her_.

But in this face – in the face being slowly made wet by the rain, the face that was distinctively _different _from any face Suigetsu had encountered on the visage of Aiko – Suigetsu saw something. What this something was…he could not say. Hell, he wasn't even sure if there even _was _something, or if his brain was playing tricks on him in an attempt to connect _her _with this thing…with Aiko.

And so his response came slowly, given with the same amount of thought that one gives before instinctively ducking to avoid a flying object – none at all.

"Yes. We're going away," he said, and Aiko's eyes were the same cold blue-gray, but he swore that her face shifted slightly in contentment.

This time, when Suigetsu motioned for her to get up, Aiko followed him without another sound. The sound of the rain plinking on the cobblestone street was oddly soothing in a way, and Suigetsu focused on it as the two of them walked over dead bodies, neither of them hesitating or looking back.

Aiko's gaze was fixed on the road as they made their way back to the base, one of her hands in her pocket while the other tugged a raincoat out of her pack, swinging it over her shoulders automatically.

Suigetsu let the rain hit him, grateful to absorb such a pure source of moisture while he had the chance, and the two traveled the rest of the way in silence.

* * *

Naruto knew that he would have to tell someone about what Hikari was. But who?

This was way too big to keep under wraps, but at the same time…he didn't want to create any unnecessary stress, when Sasuke already provided enough panic for the two of them combined. But how long could Naruto keep it a secret before something came up where it was needed?

The blonde couldn't believe it, but seeing as it came from his father – he was still reeling from the newly acquired information that Minato Namikaze, the legendary Yellow Flash and Fourth Hokage, was his _father_ – he instinctively believed it. Why would the Fourth lie to him? There'd be no logical reason…and so therefore it _must _be the truth.

It freaked the hell out of him, but it was still _Hikari_…it was still his friend that it involved. And Naruto never, ever let his friends down. That was his ninja way, and nothing short of death would ever convince him to steer from that path.

_"Hikari's something else entirely. I'm sure you've noticed how much she looks like me…and even yourself to an extent."_

_ "Wait…so you're saying that she's my _sister_?" _

_ "Not exactly." _

Not exactly was _such _an understatement.

Sasuke suddenly came to an abrupt halt, and Naruto stopped as well, tensing as the Uchiha's chakra spiked in suspicion. The air was cool and humid, and the clouds were all gathering together…forming a looming figure of rain that was slowly descending upon the entire forest. The sudden darkness sent a shadow over the two young men, and the shorter one flicked his dark eyes around in a flurry, while the taller, lankier one crouched down to wait for his companion's verdict.

"Something's following us," Sasuke said softly after a minute or so, and Naruto shifted from under his thick black cloak, silently pulling out a few kunai. The two shinobi crouched in the foliage of the trees, hidden from sight, each listening with every ounce of his strength.

Naruto felt the pounding of his heart, and crouched down even lower, shielded by the wall of leaves. The smell of rich and overturned earth filled his nostrils, along with the clean tang of rain as it began to fall down over them. Naruto didn't dare move to put his hood on, for fear of alerting the unseen figure of their presence, and instead blinked rapidly to dispel the water that was collecting on his eyelashes. The wind blew in their faces, rustling the leaves and sending shivers of cold throughout Naruto's skin.

The blonde stole a glance at his teammate, only to find the Uchiha frowning in confusion as a chakra signal became clearer. Sasuke cocked his head slightly, and it was then that Naruto picked up on the chakra as well. It tugged at Naruto's memory slightly, and he foolishly poked his head up above the cover of leaves, struggling to see the approaching ninja.

There was a flurry of movement, and suddenly, Naruto was being tackled by something small, furry, and disturbingly familiar. Sasuke blinked in shock as Naruto fell flat on his back, staring up at the small dog that was perched triumphantly on his chest.

"_P-Pakkun_?" Naruto stammered, reaching up to wipe the rainwater out of his eyes, in order to properly identify the creature before him.

The pug – dressed in his usual jacket and bearing a Konoha headband – was wet and smelly, and Naruto cringed at the cloying scent that was being exuded from the furry body. He sat up, lightly shoving the canine off of his legs and frowning at Sasuke, who had moved so he was beside the blonde.

"You're one of Kakashi's dogs," he murmured, and Pakkun sat on his haunches, eyeing Sasuke warily as he addressed Naruto gruffly.

"You two are a tough pair to find…it's taken a lot of chakra and bribes to pinpoint your general location. If this idiot," he nudged Naruto's foots with his paw. "hadn't popped up, I wouldn't have known where you two were hiding at all. Damn crosswinds…" The dog scowled as another gust of wind hit the three of them, and Sasuke crouched down lower in order to get some protection from the wall of leaves and branches.

Pakkun ducked down also, his eyes flickering in between the two of them. "I guess we can head back to Kakashi now…he rented a room in a nearby village…very small, very inconspicuous."

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged nearly identical looks of bewilderment, and Naruto spoke loudly.

"Wait, why is Kakashi-sensei here? Did something happen?"

Pakkun fixed Naruto with a surprisingly piercing stare, and the blonde shrunk back at the familiar power behind that gaze.

There had been a moment in the Land of Waves, when Kakashi had been captured by Zabuza, trapped in a ball of water, and it was then that Kakashi had had that expression on his face. It was very brief, but it had been lodged in Naruto's memory for nearly three years. Why it struck his brain as important information, Naruto would never know.

It had been when Zabuza was advancing on the three genin and their charge. It was a fleeting look, hurriedly smothered by an expression of anger and shock.

For a moment, Kakashi's face had been filled with regret, pure and painful in its rawness.

That expression was reflected in Pakkun's face, and without another thought of hesitation, Naruto got to his feet, and nodded to the ninja summon. His hands were shaking slightly, and it wasn't from the cold.

"Okay. Let's go."

Sasuke seemed shocked by Naruto's tone of firm assertion, but after glancing at the pug once more, he nodded curtly in agreement. Naruto and Sasuke both disappeared into dark blurs as the dog took off running, and in seconds, they were lost from sight completely.


	8. Chapter 7

Here's the next one!

I'm so sorry that it's short, and it's only in Sakura's POV (sorry Saku haters!)

But DON'T WORRY! This chapter has a LOT of important stuff in it, so PAY ATTENTION!

Oh, and if you have any brain space left...I hope you enjoy.

:D

**_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

_

* * *

Chapter 7_

The young kunoichi struggled to keep her hands from shaking as she knocked on the sturdy oaken door that separated the replacement Hokage's office from the main hallway. There were several buildings atop the Hokage Monuments, and that served as a temporary establishment for the office of the Hokage and other high ranking officials.

Her emerald-green eyes struggled to focus on the swirling grain of the wood, something to take her mind off of the nervous fear that roiled in her gut. She refused to let her mind wander to Sasuke and Naruto. She could, and most certainly would, worry about them later, when several lives – one of those being her own – _weren't _on the line.

Over and over she mentally reviewed the lie carefully formulated in her mind concerning Kakashi-sensei's disappearance. It had been only three days, and people were already asking questions. It was only logical that the only remaining member of the original Team 7 – which was herself, Sakura Haruno – or any knowledge regarding the sudden disappearance.

_In the days before his disappearance, Kakashi-sensei was very worried about Sasuke and Naruto, Lord Hokage. But even so, I never thought he'd take it so far as to go _after_ them. He didn't say anything at all to me, no..._

There was a brisk order to enter, and Sakura closed her eyes briefly, sucking in a quick breath before opening the door. Her boots clicked professionally on the hardwood floor as she slipped into the room, moving to stand a few feet in front of the desk. She bowed, keeping her eyes on her feet, and only raised her head when the man before her commanded her to do so.

_Tsunade-sama's condition? Well, I don't see much hope, Lord Hokage. Her vitals are slipping…we're trying everything we can, but…I don't know. I'd give her a few weeks, at most. _

In actuality, under Sakura and Shizune's constant 24-hour supervision, the comatose woman was steadily improving, but better to let Danzō think that Tsunade was decreasing in health rather than the other way around – it would give him less incentive to immediately do away with the comatose Hokage and Sakura more time to revive her sensei.

The plan was simple:

1) Convince Danzō that she was completely clueless in regards to the reason for Kakashi's deference and no information to where he was headed.

2) Lie about Tsunade-sama's condition, and tell Danzō that she was going to die in a few weeks instead of the truth, enabling Sakura more time to work on her sensei without increased fear of Danzō hurrying to end Tsunade-sama's life.

3) Go back home, take a pillow, and scream and/or cry into it for as long as she was physically able.

A flawless plan when executed in her brain. Having to re-enact it within the bounds of real life and base it upon infuriatingly unpredictable variables…that was a completely different story. It was possibly the riskiest thing she had ever undertaken, and seeing as she was an elite medic-nin who was prone to educated experimentation, that was saying a _lot_.

Her eyes, carefully void of emotion, lifted up to clash with the equally blank eye of Danzō Shimura.

The instant their gazes met, the similarities were washed away.

Sakura Haruno's eyes – much too bright and vibrant for one of such a dark profession – were merely a washed out replica of the eyes belonging to those who truly lack softness. It wasn't just the color, it was also the unique source of warmth that pulsed through Sakura with every intake and exhalation of air. No matter how she tried to contain it, there was, within her, a passion to be compassionate.

The new Hokage's visible eye was not so deceiving.

The depthless blackness that made up the color was choking in its lack of mercy, and Sakura had to swallow hard to regain some degree of the calm she had possessed before lifting her head. Danzō didn't speak, merely crossing his fingers and observing her over his laced hands.

Finally, he motioned for her to sit, and she bowed her head briefly before sinking stiffly into the hard wooden chair that was starkly alone in the vicinity of Danzō's office. It felt akin to standing alone on the battlefield, frozen by fear and by pain, staring out at the incoming soldiers that were so numerous that they became a grotesque creature that could only bring death. And unlike in that situation, Sakura found that as she stared at the writhing creature that was Danzō, she could not turn to see if her allies were indeed behind her, offering their strength and their support.

Because she knew that in this particular battle, she could not afford to look back. The temptation to look back in that moment was a result of a lack of confidence, a lack of trust in her own skills. She wanted someone to be behind her, someone to have faith in her.

_No…that's not right, _Sakura thought suddenly, _People _do _have faith in me! Kakashi-sensei, Tsunade-sama, Naruto…hell, even _Sasuke-kun_! They're all counting on me to be strong, to help Konoha survive while they're gone…I refuse to back down now, just because of a little lie I have to tell! I have to be strong…no, scratch that; I _am _strong!_

"Sakura Haruno," Danzō gruffly stated, his eye glancing down at the row of papers strewn neatly across the face of his desk. "According to my files, you are currently sixteen years of age. You've been under the teachings of the Sannin Tsunade since the age of thirteen, and you were promoted to Chuunin a year later, when you were fourteen. You've completed 34 official missions: twelve D-ranked, nine C-ranked, six B-ranked and seven A-ranked. You have been working alongside Tsunade's second-hand, Shizune, in the higher ranks of the hospital ever since your promotion. Is this all correct?"

Sakura was so shocked that he hadn't immediately questioned her about Kakashi-sensei that she couldn't respond for a split second. Then, she recovered, and nodded quickly.

"Yes, sir."

"Hm. You are an exceptional medic, Haruno. Whenever I inquired of your progress, Tsunade was always very generous in her praise of your growing skills. You must be a natural, to have gained the approval of the great Tsunade so quickly."

Sakura frowned slightly, unsure of why Danzō was saying all of this. What was he playing at? But politeness forced her to respond with a small nod. "Thank you very much."

Danzō nodded, and began flipping through several papers, his eye never leaving her face. "As such, I expect that Tsunade is getting nothing but the best treatment. Tell me…what is her condition? Improvement, I hope?"

_You miserable piece of shit_, Sakura wished so desperately to snarl. Unfortunately for Danzō, the little girl Sakura had been – the one who would have been so confused by the petty flattery and false concern that she would have been unable to focus – had taken permanent leave nearly two years ago.

She knew what he was trying to do. He hoped to throw her off with the logistics and a bit of flattery to boot, and then quickly add the central question. Heck, he even pretended that he _wanted _Tsunade-sama to survive!

Her resentment, surprisingly, made her remember her lie even more quickly, and eliminated all of her fear. The young woman winced accordingly, as if his question pained her, and a grimace passed her lips. Inwardly, she was relieved that she had thought to warn Shizune – thankfully, the only other person permitted to treat Tsunade – of Danzō's plan to murder the comatose Hokage, otherwise Danzō could of questioned and gotten the truth out of the dark haired woman. Now, if he chose to question Shizune, their stories would match, and wouldn't arouse suspicion.

"I'm…afraid not, sir. Her condition is worsening. The depletion of chakra was just…too much, and although we were able to treat her fairly quickly after she collapsed…the damage has been done," she said, and clenched her hands, biting her lip as if struggling to keep her emotions in check. Which she was, but grief definitely wasn't one of them.

Anger, perhaps. Hatred, absolutely. But not sadness. Not in the face of this horrid man who brushed aside innocents flies, flies that were stupid enough to get caught in the web of his supposed plan to "bring peace" to the world.

Danzō nodded solemnly, and nodded his head. "I'm very sorry to hear that. Do you know how long…?"

"How long she has to live?" Sakura asked quietly, wiping delicately under her eyes as if to wipe away the beginnings of tears, sniffling slightly. Danzō nodded, and Sakura contorted her face in pain. "I…I hate to say this…but I don't think she has more than two weeks. The strain is just…shutting her body down."

If Sakura hadn't been looking up just at that moment, she would have missed the split second in which an expression that couldn't be mistaken as anything but triumph flitted across Danzō's face. Rage boiled in her blood at the sight, but for the sake of her task, she pretended not to notice it.

"I'm so very sorry to hear that, Haruno," the man said, and had the shred of decency to wait a few moments before saying the words that Sakura knew he was going to speak. "I will give you the liberty to make her passing as easy as possible, and when she does indeed pass…I hope you will not mind making a formal statement for the records? Citizens will be curious to know the reason for her death, and I want to give them the most accurate information possible."

_What a load of bull. You just want clear proof that you had nothing to do with her death, you bastard, _Sakura internally screamed at him, but physically she nodded shakily and sniffled pathetically.

"I understand, sir."

"Good. Now, I'm sure you are well aware of the situation regarding Sasuke Uchiha," Danzō asked, his eye locking onto Sakura's green ones. Sakura nodded, her hands twisting themselves together as her nervousness returned.

She didn't know the real truth – the real reason that Naruto and Sasuke left the village – but she _did _know what Danzō had proclaimed the truth to be. That Sasuke had kidnapped Naruto in order to exchange the Nine Tailed Fox for Hikari's life.

The audacity of it made Sakura want to laugh and cry at the same time; laugh because the idea was so ridiculous – did Danzō just conveniently _forget_ that Naruto was the only one strong enough to defeat Pain? – and cry because a good percentage of Konoha believed it to be the truth. And there was nothing Sakura could say or do to change it without blowing her cover.

Danzō nodded once more. "I am currently preparing to go and attend the Hokage Summit that will be held in just three days, but before I leave I need to create a five-man team skilled enough to track the Uchiha down and retrieve the Jinchuuriki. The mission is S-ranked, completely hidden from public eye. I need the best," he said, and Sakura felt a sinking feeling begin to form in her stomach.

She didn't like where this conversation was headed.

"I don't quite understand what this has to do with me, Lord Hokage," Sakura managed to say, and Danzō smiled, a cool, calculating smile that sent a chill of terror down Sakura's spine.

"You're one of the best, Haruno. I am sending you, Neji Hyuuga, Katsumi Inuzuka, Bou Sejino and Mariko Yamanaka. You five will get more details on the mission in a day or so, I just wanted to let you know in advance so you could have time to find a replacement in your treatment of Tsunade."

"But sir–" she tried to say more, but Danzō held up his hand in a clear sign of dismissal.

"It is an order, Haruno. You are dismissed."

Sakura could hardly contain her anger as she stood slowly, bowing automatically, and leaving the room. It took every ounce of self control not to slam the door behind her. The door closed with a ominous click, and she staggered down the hallway and out of the building.

Her knees gave out when she was beyond earshot of the building, in a thicket that overlooked the decimated village, bathed with the orange light of a setting sun, and she stared blankly at the sight. Her eyes filled with tears, and her hands formed hopeless fists, beautiful in their daintiness, but strong enough to crack open the earth with nothing but a pair of gloves and a burst of chakra.

She wanted to scream, but nothing came out when she tried. Even the sobs were silent, mere rivers of saltwater running effortlessly down her cheeks, her lips pressed tightly together, her shoulders shaking and hunching over.

It was well past sunset when Sakura stopped crying, and much more time passed before she found the strength to stand.

Everything was crashing down, and Sakura couldn't help but wonder what things would have been like if Hikari didn't show up in Sasuke's life when she did. Would Sasuke have come back? Would Naruto still be there, smiling and making her laugh? Would Tsunade still be conscious and leading Konoha? Would Sasuke have been driven to madness from the loss of his older brother?

Sakura supposed that wondering was useless.

After all, it wasn't as if Hikari had appeared out of thin air, it wasn't as if her appearance was a mere coincidence, and so imagining a universe without her was just plain stupid.

There were no such things as accidents, that was what Tsunade always said. Right?

Doubt began to blossom in her thoughts, and Sakura allowed herself to wonder a bit more.

What if…what if Hikari meeting Sasuke was an accident? Hikari's inexplicable genetic code and lack of a definable country or village of origin mulled themselves over in Sakura's mind. What if they were never supposed to meet at all, and Hikari's appearance had in fact disrupted the series of events that made up their existence?

Sakura shook her head in skeptical disbelief, and disappeared down the cliff, heading toward the medical tents.


	9. Chapter 8

Hey everyone!

This chapter's a bit short (I wrote all of it like **checks watch** two hours) and it's mainly a response to a review someone gave. They said that "its like if you have forgotten about the relation between sasuke and hikari! ". I dont think that I have forgotten about the relationship (hello, it's the reason Sasuke is risking so much, and is the thing that drives this story!) but I suppose that some of you fluff bunnies are getting a little sad at the lack of Hikari/Sasuke action.

This is another single POV chapter (sorry, I'll be sure to add more POVs into future chapters!) and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing it!

So I hope you guys like it as well!

_**PLEASE REVIEW! Was it too cliche? Was it realistic, Sasuke-wise? PLEASE LET ME KNOW!**_

* * *

_Chapter 8_

The rain was still coming down in morose buckets of ice-water when we reached the inn. It was well past dusk. Our breath made ghostly clouds of smoke that were quickly eradicated by the pellets of water, and the cobblestones making up the narrow street squelched and grinded noisily under the soles of our thick shoes. With every breath I took, crisp coldness seeped onto my tongue and chilled my skin, and I surreptitiously pulled my cloak tighter around me. The rain made the houses lining the streets rather blurry and indistinguishable, but seeing as the inn was the only building with lights still on, our destination was easy to spot.

The inn before us was small, but looked remarkably clean and well-maintained, and the soft lights and sense of warmth radiating from the place would have melted the panic in my chest had I not been busy scanning the area for any hint of a threat. The trees were strangely silent in the face of the pounding rain and the whispering wind, and my hand clenched instinctively around my sword, which was securely belted to my waist.

But my search for danger proved unneeded, for we were alone. My cold fingers painfully pried themselves away from the leather handle, and I let my hand drop harmlessly to my side. I heard Naruto move forward, and glanced over just in time to see Pakkun growl and bite down on his ankle, preventing him from moving toward the main entrance of the inn.

"Not that way," the pug muttered lowly, and I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that such a gravelly, deep voice could come from such a small creature. Naruto frowned deeply, and Pakkun let out a gusty sigh, and nodded to the back of the inn. "We gotta sneak in, just in case enemy ninja come through here and ask if they've seen you."

I nodded, and we followed Pakkun as he vanished into a dark blur. We boosted chakra to our feet, and jumped upward toward the roofs of the nearby houses. Using the rain and the darkness as cover, we darted from roof to roof until we were just behind the inn. One of the windows was open, and there was a small black scarf hanging out on the railing. I knew immediately that that was Kakashi's work, and nodded toward Pakkun, who was looking at me expectantly.

I moved as fast as I was able, leaping over the expanse of street, a mere ten feet above a few wary figures with swords at their sides – nighttime watchmen, no doubt. I used chakra to mute my landing on the rail, and without a moment's hesitation ducked through the open window and into the room.

Warmth rose up like a suffocating wave, and for a moment all I could do was gasp as hot air replaced the chilly air of the outside. My hair was stuck in thick strands to my face – it was longer than I usually had it, my bangs nearly reaching my chin – and I blinked away the water as I moved quickly away from the window to allow Naruto and Pakkun to enter as well.

The room was clean and rather small, but not uncomfortable, with a single bed in the corner, as well as a thick rug covering the center of the hardwood floor. A wobbly bed-side table held a electronic clock and a vase of pretty white flowers, and seeing them reminded me violently of the night in which I had visited Hikari in the Konoha Hospital…where something had urged me to cut off the top of the flower Naruto had brought.

My attention was further distracted by the sound of a sigh, and my eyes snapped to where a familiar figure was seated in a simple wooden chair by the bed, his silver hair glinting in the bright light, the lower half of his face – as usual – covered by a thin black mask. His posture was unruffled and calm, but Sasuke could sense the underlying tension being emitted from his single, dark gray eye. Why was Kakashi here? Why would he be here, of all places, when his village needed him the most?

My eyes must have betrayed my overwhelming confusion, because Kakashi leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees and interlinking his fingers in a thoughtful pose. Naruto closed the window behind Pakkun, but before he could angrily ask the question that Sasuke was currently mulling over in his mind, Kakashi raised a finger to silence him.

The jounin put his hands together, and Sasuke felt the buzz of chakra fill the air before fading out into nothing. Kakashi sighed, and his eye flickered from Naruto to Sasuke.

"A silencing jutsu, to make sure we aren't overheard."

Naruto took that as his cue to leap into the silence with a loud, "Why are you here, Kakashi-sensei?"

I lowered myself into a chair, and Pakkun curled up beside Kakashi's leg as the man shifted slightly in his seat. Naruto was still on his feet, his bright eyes staring curiously at the jounin before him, his hands clenched into frustrated fists.

"I have been…forced to leave Konoha for the time being. Tsunade-sama is in a coma, and so they have elected Danzō Shimura as her temporary replacement. However, Danzō has other plans. He wishes to kill Tsunade, therefore giving him complete power of Konoha."

"What?" Naruto yelled, but Kakashi raised a hand to silence him.

"Now is not the time for speculation and panic, Naruto. I am merely relaying what I know," he said, and went on without further ado. "Sasuke has been marked as an S-rank criminal that is to be killed on sight, as he has betrayed Konoha by kidnapping you, the Jinchuuriki. I know this is not the truth," Kakashi added quickly, as both Naruto and I were making to angrily object to his words. "but this is what Danzō has announced to the public, and therefore it is what the majority believes to be true. Danzō also has proclaimed that Hikari is to be killed on sight, as she willingly joined the enemy and–"

I hardly had time to think – the blinding rage at hearing those words came on suddenly and without warning – before my voice filled the room, uncharacteristically sharp and loud.

"_No_!"

Naruto was also fuming, his eyes sparks of furious cerulean as he rounded on Kakashi. "What the hell? You _know _that she was kidnapped, Kakashi-sensei, why didn't you tell–"

Pakkun let out a growl. "Shut it, Blondie, and use your brain. The reason Kakashi had to leave was _because _he knew 'bout the kidnap. Danzō wasn't very pleased with that, and so he planned to eliminate th' only witness to her kidnapping."

I frowned, and said, "But how do you know all of this?"

"Sai was able to warn me before Danzō officially came into office, and I took the chance to flee," Kakashi explained, and fixed his gaze securely onto my own. "I decided to come to you two, to warn you of what has happened since you left Konoha. I also wish to help you. Madara can only be growing in strength, and we need to work together if we hope to survive."

I glanced over at Naruto, who was pale and shaking from the shock. But surprisingly, he didn't let his emotions run away from him. He took a deep breath, and spoke slowly.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

We went to sleep soon after, with the plan to leave early the next morning. Kakashi was in the bed – he had paid for the room, after all, so it seemed logical for him to be the one to use the bedding provided – and so Naruto and I had laid out our mats on the soft rug. The air in the room was warm and comfortable, and yet sleep eluded me. It had been like this ever since…ever since _she_ was taken.

Naruto had fallen asleep in seconds, and I glared at him from my bedroll, hating him for his seemingly effortless ability to separate himself from the land of the conscious. Kakashi was asleep as well, and so I was left alone and painstakingly awake in the warm darkness.

It was always like this.

In the daytime, I was somehow able to push aside everything else and focus on my task. I was able to function, in the most elemental meaning of the word. I breathed, I spoke when necessary, and I didn't allow my emotions to overwhelm me.

But at night, when I was left with nothing but my thoughts…the memories began to trickle in. It was usually a memory of Hikari, bittersweet reminders of her existence, my heart's adamant refusal to accept the idea that she may be dead…or worse.

I closed my eyes, expecting a memory to overwhelm me, but–

_–suddenly I was on a large, rounded rock, in the center of a whirling and foaming stream, the water as clear as a summer's day, and the sky filled with sunshine and with the sound of leaves whispering against each other. My mind was relaxed and at ease, and I looked down to see myself clothed in a simple outfit; blindingly white tunic and shorts, with no shoes or other accessories. I was about to wonder where exactly I was when the sound of a familiar voice made my mind temporarily go blank. _

_ "Sasuke!" _

_ I whipped around so fast that my neck should have tweaked painfully – something at the back of my mind reminded me that I was in a dream, and so pain wasn't a definable concept. There are no words to describe the feelings that rushed through me at the sight of the girl standing on the shore, for words would be painfully and utterly useless. _

_ She stood there, her blue-gray eyes bright and glowing in the sunshine, and her golden hair loose and falling in loose waves to her waist. She was clothed in the same outfit as I was, and I felt my heart beating faster at the smile that was slowly turning up the sides of her lips. _

_ Hikari. _

_ My memory had not faltered in the slightest when creating her image, and I drank her in, my eyes scanning her unconsciously for injuries, but then…why would she be injured? This was all in my head. _

_ I knew that I should wake myself up. I shouldn't indulge my imagination like this. She wasn't real, she wasn't real, she _wasn't real_–_

_ "Emo-boy, don't tell me that you've given _up_ on me..." she asked, her smile fading slightly as a hint of uncertainty filled her gaze. It was that expression that destroyed all of my logic and my reason. _

_ Oh…_

_ I moved faster than I would have thought possible, and then she was in my arms, my face burying itself in the juncture between her neck and her shoulder, my arms locking around her waist and her upper back, yanking her to me with such force that I wouldn't be surprised if I gave her bruises. I felt her gripping me as tightly as she could, and I felt my worry melting away as I felt her breath on my neck, her voice cracking as she whispered. _

_ "I've missed you so much…" _

_ I couldn't answer, for I was too busy breathing in the scent of her. It wasn't a particularly vivid scent – such as something one would find in the scent of strawberries or perfume – but it was simply a warm smell that made me think of _home_. _

Home is where the heart is_, my mother always said. Now, in this moment – no matter how real or fake it may be – I was home, because I was where my heart was. _

_I was with Hikari. _

_Once I had soaked in the smell of her, I moved on to her face. My eyes ravaged the contours and familiar creases, my fingers cupping her cheeks and holding her in place. Tears were filling her eyes, and I resisted the urge to hug her to me once more. _

_ "You're not really here," I murmured, and she nodded shakily, her eyes closing as she struggled to compose herself. The sunshine seemed to falter slightly, and her eyes snapped open, fearfully flickering in the direction of the sun. _

_ "I know, Sasuke…but I wish…I _want_ to be…" Hikari was so overwhelmed that she could not continue. She let out a chocked laugh, throwing her arms around me and pressing her lips to mine. _

_I could taste her tears on the softness of her lips, and I didn't realize I was crying until she pulled away, and I felt the water coursing down my own cheeks. She touched my cheeks, and I put my hands over hers, taking gasps in an attempt to contain my grief. _

_ "I can't…I can't_…_" I tried to continue, but my throat swelled until speech was impossible. Hikari's blue-gray eyes seemed even bluer in the face of her tears, and she buried herself in my arms. I could think of nothing else but to cling to her, memorizing the feel of her…the sound of her voice…the memory of her love…_

_ "I know. It's so hard…I just want to _stay _here…" Hikari whispered, and I let out a shaky breath as she went on. "I love you so much."_

_ "I will find you," I said firmly, clutching her more tightly to me in an attempt to keep myself together. _

_ "I'll be waiting, Sasuke." _

_ I looked at her – taking in the warmth of her skin, the softness of her hair, the sweetness of her tears as she intertwined our fingers, both of us holding on for dear life. _

_I lowered my head to kiss her again. She closed her eyes, and I could feel the warmth of her breath on my mouth as–_

"Sasuke, wake up!" a voice hissed loudly, and my eyes opened to the sight of Naruto kneeling over me, his figure dim in the light of early morning. I sat up quickly, turning away to hide the traces of tears on my cheeks. Naruto didn't notice, thankfully, and silently moved away to roll up his bedroll.

I began to get dressed, subtly using my shirt to wipe my cheeks. I looked up to see Kakashi staring at me, his eye dark and solemn as it steadily locked with mine. His face was inscrutable, but I could detect a hint of pity hidden there.

I turned away, and began packing up.

The severity of my delusion was slowly crushing me, and I felt another tear – brief and strikingly lonely – slide down my cheek.

Home is where the heart is.

Since mine was with Hikari, everything in the real world was unfamiliar and wrong, and it was only in my dreams that I felt at peace.

The thought was frightening, but what was even more frightening was that it was the truth.


	10. Chapter 9

Hey! Sorry that it's been so long!

Hope you guys like it, and I'm glad to say that this only took me like...five hours to do! Talk about having ABSOLUTELY NO LIFE! Woot WOOT!

Okay, i'll stop talking now, and let you guys get to the chapter!

**_PLEASE REVIEW! Your questions, comments and constructive criticisms are ADORED!_**

* * *

_Chapter 9_

* * *

_Dreams haunt my sleep _

_and I find that I cannot fight them._

_The days are so long, and yet _

_I wish for them to be longer. _

_So long as I don't have to face the dreams. _

_They are images, flashing, burning, _

_and I do not heed their features. _

_There are people, but their faces_

_are blurs, I do not care for them. _

_Except for one. _

_It is a boy, standing alone. _

_All I can distinguish are his eyes. _

_I reach for him, but he is turning. _

_Away from me, and I am falling. _

_Into those eyes of his. _

Aiko's head snapped up at the sound of footsteps outside of her door, and she hurriedly closed the small leather-bound journal, throwing it and the pen she had been using under her pillow. The movements were so practiced that it seemed almost commonplace. The small silver brush given to her by Master rested by her knee, and she took it up, brushing through her damp hair with steady strokes. The upper half of her hair, still wet from her shower, was a dark bronze in color, a sharp contrast to the ends, which were drying into bright blonde waves.

The door clicked open, and Master stepped silently into the room. Aiko inwardly sighed at the beauty of his appearance, and quickly bent into a kneeling position, her brush dropping to the ground in her haste. His chakra pulsed through the room, as it usually did, and she basked in the warm security of the strength behind the sound of his deep breathing. There was the sound of footsteps crossing the stone floor, and she felt Master's hands on her shoulders.

"Rise, Aiko," his voice filled the silence, soft and stern, and she let out a sigh of contentment as she let her gaze flicker up to meet his eyes. She was expecting to see the crimson Sharingan eyes that Master usually kept activated, but was met with strangely _familiar _eyes that were blank and indecipherable. They were the wrong shape, and the emotion hidden behind the eyes was slightly off, but the color…the color was indisputably familiar.

Suddenly, a flash of something uncomfortable in her gut–

_"Choose your path…" _

–and then she blinked, and the feeling disappeared as quickly as it had come. She stared up at the dark haired man, who was still touching her shoulders.

"I have another mission for you, my dear," Master murmured, and Aiko felt her head nodding in automatic agreement. "Come to the main hall in half an hour, and I will give you the details."

Aiko nodded once more, and Master placed a small pat on her head before disappearing from the room. The girl moved quickly and began packing the supplies necessary for a mission, but something made her stop. There was a strange feeling…what was it? Her vocabulary was limited when it came to describing her emotions, and so she gave up after a moment.

The kunoichi turned, and stared at the pillow that held her journal. Aiko moved and retrieved the notebook, flipping past the numerous filled pages until she found the one she had been working on.

She would do anything and everything to aid Master in his quest to rid the world of evil. It was he who had saved her from the horrid Konoha ninja…the ones who had taken her memory.

But it did not matter anymore, who she had been in the past.

She was Aiko now – she pushed aside the unease that filled her at the mention of that name – and nothing else was important. She lived only to serve Master, and nothing else would dare cloud her thoughts. That's what she was supposed to believe, and that's what she thought a majority of the time.

And yet…

Aiko kept this journal a secret from Master, for reasons that she still couldn't discern. She didn't know why, but she had the worst feeling that if he found out, he would take it away from her forever.

She couldn't lose that.

Aiko had found the journal nearly a month ago, and had found that whenever she stared at the empty lines…the words just rose forth like a wave and wrote themselves onto the page. They were random and unpredictable, sometimes as little as a single word and sometimes pages upon pages of franticly scribbled poems.

She found a strange sort of _freedom_ to writing in her journal, speaking through poetry where as ordinary prose proved ineffectual in expressing her sometimes conflicted thoughts.

For some reason, the idea of losing this useless bit of leather and paper terrified her. No…that wasn't right. It wasn't the journal itself that was important…it was the secrets it held.

Aiko stared at the empty line under her words, thinking hard, and then scribbling down two simple words. She stared at them, and then nodded slightly to herself. Yes, that was right.

With that, she tucked the book away once more, and resumed packing without a second thought.

_Onyx eyes. _

* * *

Hinata Hyuuga knew that this was the most risky thing she could have ever imagined doing. It was crazy, suicidal almost, and yet it was the most logical plan of action. It wouldn't be that difficult; her plan was flawless, but fear still gripped at her as the seconds ticked into minutes. Never before had her emotions so fervently tugged at either side of her conscience.

Should she remain in the shadows, the undeniably safer and more comfortable path that Hinata was accustomed to taking, and help her village recuperate?

Or should she throw all caution to the wind, as Naruto would do if he were here, and take impulsive and necessary action?

She knelt in the small tent that served as a make-shift kitchen, making dinner for herself and Neji – the rest of the family had retired much earlier in the night, seeing as the shinobi were required to stay up much later – and the key component to her plan was hidden in her jacket pocket, enclosed in a seemingly harmless container of rice. The construction was running more efficiently than anyone could have hoped, and already small houses and shops were sprouting up. As a result, most still resided in tents, but traders and farmers were able to provide supplies for the shinobi as well as the civilians.

Neji was going on a mission to retrieve Naruto, and kill Sasuke Uchiha. She had been awake when Neji received the scroll in the early hours of yesterday morning, and in a blaze of unaccustomed defiance, she used her kekkei genkai to see through the walls separating their rooms and quickly read the mission details. He was with Sakura Haruno and

_Retrieve the Jinchuuriki, and eliminate the perpetrator. _

The team was scheduled to leave tomorrow morning, at the crack of dawn.

Now, Hinata didn't need to be a genius to be able to deduce that if Sakura was on the team, killing Sasuke wouldn't come close to being fulfilled. And Hinata didn't blame the pink-haired kunoichi.

Hinata refused to believe that someone as strong as Naruto would be so easily overwhelmed by Sasuke. Sasuke was frightening, but he wasn't a _bad _person. Naruto must've gone with the Uchiha for good reason…and Hinata stubbornly refused to believe otherwise, no matter what Neji said.

Her best guess – assisted by years of learning to melt into the background and gather information, while at the same time deducing hidden motives by examining that information – was that they were going to confront the ones who had taken Hikari. The girl was close to both Naruto and Sasuke, and so it was only logical that they'd want to go after her.

Hinata knew that once Sakura heard the truth – the real truth, and not the falsehoods the new Hokage was spewing – she would order the team to assist Sasuke and Naruto in their quest. Hinata was almost sure of it.

And Neji _hated _Hikari.

So it was settled.

Neji wouldn't be going on that mission, if Hinata had anything to say about it.

The pale-eyed girl straightened, and steadily removed the rice from her pocket, and opened the lid. There, resting lightly atop the cooked rice, lay a small vial of clear liquid that was both odorless and tasteless. Hinata had anonymously ordered it from the apothecary yesterday afternoon, and with some careful hypothetical questioning, learned that the amount in the vial would leave the recipient with violent effects of food poisoning for at least two days.

There would be no reason to go to the hospital, because Neji would automatically assume that the illness stemmed from the fish that Hinata _must _have lacked skill in preparing properly. No one went to the hospital for food poisoning – in a shinobi village, to needlessly take up the time of the medics who were constantly being bombarded by more serious maladies because of a simple stomachache was considered to be a sign of weakness. And Neji would sooner dye his hair green than admit weakness.

A small pang of guilt erupted at the thought of taking advantage of her cousin, who had sat by her side the entire time while a medic healed her stab wound, who had carried her back to the medical tents once she had been stabilized…who had held held her hand when a medic had been forced to stitch her up without any painkillers – seeing as they were so low on supplies as it was.

But she would fret about that later. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Hinata opened the vial with a small pop, and without another moments hesitation poured the contents on the cooked surface of the medium sized fillet of salmon that was cut into small strips. She even put a few drops on the cooked carrots and asparagus neatly grouped on the corner of the rectangular plate. Her own plate of rice and noodles – she wasn't in the mood for salmon, she would say if he bothered to ask – was beside the sink, and once Hinata had finished stashing the vial away in the waste-bin, she stood up and picked up both dishes. She exited the cooking tent, and walked toward the circle of tents that the Hyuuga clan shinobi lived in. The non-shinobi clan members had large tents within the protective circle of shinobi tents, so as to protect anyone from reaching them without first alerting the Hyuuga shinobi.

Hinata ducked into one of the tents, and found that Neji was sitting – thankfully for her – alone, reading a scroll. She smiled softly when he looked up at her, and carefully knelt to the ground beside the table.

The young man nodded silently in greeting, his eyes returning to the intricate workings of the ninjutsu scroll. Hinata fought to keep her hands from shaking as she lowered his dish onto the tabletop, settling down on the ground and picking up her own chopsticks.

"I h-hope you enjoy your salmon, Neji-onissan. I've n-never tried th-this recipe before, so I'm hoping that I-I cooked it correctly…"

Neji nodded his head to her. "Do not doubt your skills, Hinata-sama. I am sure that the meal is cooked perfectly."

Hinata was silenced by his reassurance, and she did not dare stare as Neji lifted a slice of salmon to his lips. She kept her eyes on her plate, delicately putting small clumps of rice in her mouth, her mind so distracted that she could barely taste the rich curry she had added for flavor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neji chewing complacently, and it was only when he swallowed that she allowed herself to breathe again.

Her pale eyes glanced over at her cousin, and she watched with a strange sense of satisfaction. Neji continued to eat as if nothing was amiss, and gave her a small nod of satisfaction when he caught her looking at him. He thought she was nervous about how it tasted…oh how misguided he was. It filled Hinata with both guilt and pride.

Guilt that she was shamelessly betraying Neji's trust…and pride that she, the weakest link of the Hyuuga clan, had managed to best the great prodigy that was Neji Hyuuga. It really was too bad that she could never take credit for the momentous feat.

Neji ate silently, and Hinata turned back to her meal with a small smile.

It would all work out.

Now all there was to do was to write a letter to her father telling him of a mission that had been assigned to her rather suddenly – she would make up something about patrolling the surrounding land with a few other shinobi – that would leave her absent for a few days.

By the time anyone discovered her lie, Hinata would be far away from Konohagakure, and out of the reach of everyone within it.

* * *

The young kunoichi growled to herself as she shouldered her sparse belongings, waving a brief hand-sign at the noisy tent. Sharing a tent with Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno was _not _the best idea on Tenten's part. The two couldn't go five minutes without insulting each other, which led to a good-natured, but still deafening exchange of words and sometimes pillows. It had been three days, and Tenten had finally had enough.

The night air was cool on her skin, making her shiver slightly, as it was such a sudden and welcoming change from the stuffy tent. The stars were especially bright, and she closed her eyes as she let the smell of the cold air fill her senses. She knew of only one other person that she would be comfortable staying with, and that was Neji Hyuuga. No one else appreciated the act of silence the way that he did, and she knew that he wouldn't refuse once she explained her situation.

She branched out her chakra, and quickly located the familiar pulse that belonged to Neji, and made her way toward it. A small tent made itself known to her, and she tapped the wooden post holding it up before entering.

Tenten set her bag down, smiling as she saw Hinata and Neji sitting quietly at the table, eating dinner. Neji nodded to her, picking up a few pieces of carrot and placing them in his mouth. Hinata was eating her meal in equal silence, and she gave Tenten a tentative wave. Tenten was going to greet her, but she caught sight of Neji's dish, which looked especially delicious, she automatically danced over to where he sat, reaching over his shoulder to snag a piece of salmon.

Normally, this would have induced a sharp scolding from the Hyuuga, but, strangely, this time his reaction was different. He did nothing, merely moving aside so she would have easier access.

Rather than wasting brain cells in contemplating Neji's mental state, she merely shrugged and plopped herself down next to the Hyuuga. The girl was so focused on eating her piece of fish that she didn't notice the slight jerk of Hinata's hands, or the widening of the Hyuuga girl's eyes as she slowly sank back into her former position.

Tenten ate another piece, and grinned. "This is really good, Hinata-chan! Remind me to get the recipe from you…"

"Mm…" Hinata hummed in affirmation, her eyes lowered to her plate as she slowly resumed eating. Tenten frowned at the guilty slump to Hinata's shoulders, and glanced at Neji.

"Is something wrong, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata flinched, and she forced a smile on her face as she softly replied, "Oh, I-I was just r-regretting not ma-making enough salmon for you as w-well, Tenten-chan."

"Tenten eats enough as it is, Hinata-sama. Do not feel obliged to feel that you need to provide for her," Neji stated firmly. Luckily for him, Tenten was thick-skinned enough to take his comment in stride.

She knew that he wasn't saying it to insinuate that she was fat or anything, he was just stating a fact: Tenten never missed a meal, and wasn't so concerned with calories and all that crap that she would starve herself. Tenten didn't need a diet to feel good about herself; she knew that she was in top condition, with little to no excess body fat to fret about.

"Anyway, Neji, I came to ask if I could stay in your tent for a while. Sakura and Ino are _kinda _infuriating, and I don't think I can stand another minute in that hellhole they call a tent. So…is that okay?"

Neji nodded curtly, and Tenten inwardly beamed. Hinata smiled, and waited until Tenten and Neji had finished the plate of salmon and vegetables before picking up both dishes and bowing to both of them before leaving the tent to go clean the dishes.

An hour or so later, Tenten was lying in her sleeping bag, staring up at the ceiling of the tent and finding sleep to be eluding her. No matter how hard she tried, her mind just wouldn't drift off into unconsciousness.

For some inexplicable reason, her mind was locked on Hikari, and the month in which she had taught Tenten how to recover from the genjutsu Hikari had placed on her early on. Tenten wasn't sure that she would ever fully recover from the image she had seen, but she couldn't deny that she probably would have had a much easier time with it had she not abandoned the prospect just three lessons in.

"_Just…separate yourself," Hikari murmured, and Tenten cracked an eye open from her position beside the blonde. Both kunoichi were cross-legged on the grassy hill beside the lake, and Tenten saw Neji sitting in the shade of the nearby tree, watching them with wary eyes. _

"_Okay, I don't understand…" Tenten admitted, and Hikari's eyes opened slowly. _

"_Alright, how so?" _

"_How do you "separate"? You're not telling me how, you're just telling me to do it!" Tenten snapped, a little more forcefully than she had intended – even though Tenten had proclaimed them "friends", she was still a bit hostile. Hikari would need to _earn_ Tenten's friendship and respect, and until then, Tenten would keep her distance._

_Hikari took Tenten's accusation without so much as a frown." I can't tell you exactly _how _to do it…the method of separating your mental and physical form is something that you have to figure out for yourself. Meditation is a common method, which is what we're doing right now. You have to think of yourself as two different beings. Just…push between them and find that separation. Does that make any sense?" the girl said, smiling nervously, showing Tenten some of the insecurity that had been hiding behind the professional façade. _

_Tenten frowned. "Not really. You sound as though you've had a lot of practice…" _

"_Yeah, I guess I have," the blonde replied, her blue-gray eyes staring out at the lake that reflected the bleak gray color of the cloudy sky. _

"_Where did you come from, exactly?" _

_Hikari flinched, and shook her head. "I'd rather not talk about it." _

"_But _why_?" Tenten pressed, as was natural for her. She never was one to take anything at face value; it just wasn't in her nature. _

"_Because…it's not important." Hikari seemed to withdraw into herself, and Tenten stared at her for a moment before her irritation overwhelmed her reasonable side. Really, Hikari didn't have to be so secretive about it. She was being purposefully vague, and if Tenten didn't like anything, it was when people withheld important information for no apparent reason. _

_The weapons specialist stood abruptly, and scowled. "Y'know, I don't remember electing you as the arbiter of what's important and what's not. Get over yourself, won't you?" _

_With that, Tenten stormed off, leaving Hikari alone by the lake. Neji followed her, and Tenten glanced back to see Hikari still sitting just before rounding the corner of the nearest building. _

_Her long blonde hair came forward to shield her face from view as she leaned forward to brush her fingers atop the glassy surface of the lake. _

Tenten rolled over on her side, and whispered into the silence. "Neji? You awake?"

There was silence, and then a quiet reply, "Yes. What is it?"

Tenten strained to see Neji in the dimness of the tent, and she finally gave up and slipped out of her sleeping bag, making her way to where he was on the other side of the tent. Tenten knew that he was somewhere on the other side, but the tent was so dark that she could barely see her own two hands, much less a person on the ground.

She reached out her hands to feel for him once she made the perilous journey around the table, and squeaked in surprise when she felt two strong hands gripping her shoulders. She whirled around, and relaxed when she recognized the chakra signature to be Neji's. He must be using the Byakugan to see in the dark, Tenten mused as Neji led them effortlessly back to his sleeping bag. She allowed him to help her sit, and listened as he seated himself beside her.

His voice was deep as he whispered, "Is something wrong?"

Tenten shook her head, and then realized that the motion was useless. "No, not really. I was just thinking…since Sasuke came from Sound, and that's where he found Hikari…then Hikari must have lived in Sound."

Neji seemed confused. "Yes…and?"

"That's why she wouldn't tell me where she was from…and that's…that's where she learned that genjutsu," Tenten trailed off, and suddenly gasped. "Oh God! Neji, _no wonder _she used that genjutsu on me! Being in Sound…it's a completely different situation…"

"Tenten, just because she was in Sound–"

Tenten shook her head. "It all makes sense! That's why she was here in the first place, to get away from Sound! Oh, I feel so bad…I was so awful to her…"

Neji's voice was cold. "She does not deserve your pity."

Tenten laughed quietly into the silence, leaning her head against her hand. "I know that you hate her just because she's from Sound, but just try and imagine what it was _like_–"

"You think I dislike Hikari because she's from Sound?" Neji's question was sudden and sharp; his tone wasn't bitter or cold, instead genuinely curious. Tenten frowned, her hands folding as she rested her elbows on her crossed knees.

"Well…_yeah! _Why else would you hate her?" Before Neji could respond, Tenten remembered an earlier night with Ino and Sakura, and another giggle erupted from her chest. "Oh, Ino and Sakura were going on and on about how your attitude toward Hikari is all because of your _"undying affection toward me"_…now that made me laugh! I mean, imagine, us…together! They must be desperate for gossip if they're pulling _that_ card!"

Tenten was unable to continue, and fell back onto the blanket, trying hard to stifle her snorts of laughter. She was so consumed by her amusement that she didn't notice how Neji stiffened, his breath hitching just slightly in trepidation. But by the time she had regained her composure, Neji had become calm once more, and Tenten grinned into the darkness.

"How…ridiculous…" Neji's voice was strangely detached, and Tenten brushed it off as him trying not to let his amusement reach his face. Tenten knew that the idea was ludicrous at best, and it roused another giggle from her.

"I know, right?" Tenten yawned, weariness hitting her in a wave. "Alright, I'm going to bed. Thanks for listening to me ramble, Neji."

Neji didn't respond, instead helping her get to her feet, and silently leading her back to her bedroll.


	11. Chapter 10

Wooh! That was difficult!

Alright, here's the next chapter!

A new POV! I know, MORE OCs? But I really am trying to keep them to a minimum, but these were necessary!

Hope you all enjoy!

**_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

* * *

_Chapter 10_

The air was filled with the smell of sea-salt, and I stood, silent, before the opening of the cave Madara had taken me and Hikari to after my defeat of Itachi. The smell was thick and clean, and I breathed it in deeply, staring into the suffocating darkness as I branched out my other senses. I had no way of knowing if Madara had taken Itachi's body, or had instead left it to rot after I refused to join Akatsuki. Either way, I needed to know.

"No one's here, Sasuke."

Kakashi spoke clearly, but I did not acknowledge the jounin's assessment, instead making several familiar hand signs and sucking in a shallow breath. A small stream of flame coated the sides of the cave, lighting all of the torches that were attached to the walls. The fire shed light on the murky passageway, and I strode down it without a second thought. My footsteps echoed mutely, and I heard Naruto babbling about something or another behind me. I was so accustomed to tuning the blonde out that all sound became a mere hum in the background, a light buzz that was easily and effectively ignored.

There was a sickly dampness to the air that immediately put me on edge, and my head jerked up when I began seeing small entryways to individual rooms. Their dark openings flickered ominously in the firelight, and of course I didn't express any unease, because I was an Uchiha, and we as a clan did not show such petty emotions in the face of a mere _cave_. I began peering into each room, ignoring Naruto's loud question of what exactly I was looking for. The idiot would find out soon enough.

Finally…I found him.

I froze by the door, my eyes staring blankly into the small room that was cold as ice. Of course it would have to be cold, to preserve the body. I found that my eyes could not turn away from the body that resided on the top of a metal table. There was no movement from it, and yet the entire room was shaking, vibrating, calling out to whoever may be near.

I felt Kakashi's hand on my shoulder, and the vibrating suddenly ceased, and I realized that I was the one who had been shaking, not the room itself. My eyes were still locked on the body Itachi Uchiha, and I moved forward, into the iciness and out of the solidness of Kakashi's hold on my shoulder. My steps were small and uncertain, and when I reached the table I stared down at my older brother.

In the month or so that I had been gone, there had been an extraordinary lack of decay, which was most likely a result of the coldness of the room. Itachi's skin was ashen and pale, his lips gray and lifeless as a tombstone, and his blind eyes were open and glassy. Naruto gagged behind me, and a flare of fury rose up within me toward Madara. How dare he just _leave _Itachi here! At the very least, he could have buried him, but of course, once I left, his interest in Itachi's body had also left.

I reached out, and slowly slid Itachi's stiff eyelids over his sightless eyes. I didn't realize that I was speaking until a few moments after I had finished.

"I want to cremate him…it was the Uchiha way," I said, my voice pathetically small and weak, cracking at the word "Uchiha". Kakashi and Naruto were silent for a few moments, and I turned to glare at the two of them. "I don't care if you two help me, I don't need–"

"I'll help you, Sasuke," Naruto suddenly cut in, and moved forward to grip the dead Uchiha around the knees. I blinked, shocked, and Naruto sent me a grim smile. "C'mon, get his shoulders, we'll do it outside."

I moved automatically, and Kakashi helped by supporting Itachi's mid-section, the Copy-nin staring at the sallow face of Itachi with a strange sort of regret to his expression. I forced myself to focus on my footing, and felt a strange sense of _déjà vu_ as we walked slowly down the passageway. With a jolt, I realized that this was the same passageway that Hikari had helped him traverse after meeting with Madara.

I forced my thoughts away from the memory, and blinked as we re-entered the bright sunshine. Kakashi left quickly to gather wood for a pyre while and Naruto I and placed the body on the ground as carefully as possible. I hated the stiffness to Itachi's body, and stared down at it as if to force it back to life. There was so much I wanted to ask him, so many things I wanted to apologize for.

But I suppose that's the curse of the living. We're still here, and so we can't express our goodbyes and regrets to the people who need them most…those who are dead and gone.

The minutes stretched into hours, and Naruto remained silent the entire time, something that I was eternally grateful for. I needed time to think, I needed time to grieve anew for the body of my only brother. I had already said goodbye in my mind, on that day with Hikari on the beach, and so I expected the cremation of his body to be simple. But now, when faced with Itachi's peaceful face…I found that the raw feeling of desolation welled up in my chest with the force of a typhoon just waiting to be unleashed.

I could not cry, but I grieved with every movement of my hands, with every intake of air, and with every flash of memory that swam before my eyes. Memories of Itachi and I running through the streets of Konoha, of him teaching me to hold a kunai and poking my forehead in that affectionate way of his, of him promising to be at my Graduation Ceremony, the pride on his face as he ruffled my hair.

Itachi was the last person. With him, he would take all of the memories of the Uchiha Clan of Konohagakure. Madara was Uchiha in blood, but he was not an Uchiha in spirit. He did not fight for what was right; he did not sacrifice his life and his dignity for the sake of those both below and above him. He was not an Uchiha, he was a traitor.

Just like me.

I was no longer an Uchiha of Konohagakure. I had betrayed my village for petty dreams of power and vengeance; I had blindly pushed aside all my reasons for being honorable and true. I had redeemed myself in the smallest sense, yes, but that was not enough. My bond with the Uchiha was endangered the moment I stepped outside those village walls three years ago. The moment my hand touched Sakura's neck to knock her unconscious, the connection splintered. The instant in which I shoved my lightning infused hand through my best friend's chest…the connection was dangling by the barest thread.

And when my Chidori and Naruto's Rasengan collided in the Valley of the End…the bond between me and my clan was broken, utterly and completely.

I watched silently as Kakashi built a sturdy pyre, and with a heave, Naruto and I placed Itachi atop the two-foot structure of thick branches and twigs. The roar of the waves was almost deafening now, and I stared at the body of my brother, my hair whipping around in the wind. Kakashi seemed to sense my reluctance to speak, because he stepped forward silently.

"Today marks the day that we send one of our own on his final journey. To his own village, he was known as the ruthless murderer of an entire clan, a traitor," his eye lifted to lock onto my strangely numb face. "But now, in the face of death, we finally recognize him for who he truly was. A martyr, a caring brother, and a loyal shinobi of Konohagakure. He placed the stability of his own conscience in harms way in order to preserve the lives of thousands, and he has withstood the barbs of his own fellow shinobi and remaining family, he has sacrificed his own happiness in hopes of achieving peace."

Kakashi's words seemed to echo in my mind as I stared listlessly into the face of my brother, and nothing – not even the sound of the pounding surf – was able to usurp the poignant pause in Kakashi's eulogy.

"Today marks the day that we honor this man for all of his mistakes and his achievements. We praise him for all that he was, and mourn for all that he had the potential to be."

The rasping of the water against the rocks tugged at something in my chest, and I looked up at the sky, ignoring the strange ache to my eyes and ignoring the tightness of my throat as Kakashi finished his speech with six final words.

"You will be remembered, Itachi Uchiha."

We all remained silent for a few moments, and Kakashi then raised his head and looked each of us in turn. "Is there anything you would like to say before we begin the cremation?"

Naruto glanced at me – I was still staring up at the sky, so I saw this through my peripheral vision – before slowly nodding. I heard him step forward, and my eyes were automatically drawn to the blonde. Naruto was bending down, and when he straightened once more, he held a single coastal flower, one of the delicate star-petal ones that struggled to survive in the rocky terrain.

"Hey, Itachi," Naruto seemed to stumble into speaking, his brow furrowing deeply as he stared down at the body on the pyre. "I've hated you for most of my life. I mean, what else did you expect? You took Sasuke's family away from him; you made him believe that you did it just to get power, and have captured and murdered countless innocent Jinchuuriki. There hasn't been a time in fighting you where I haven't wished you dead, and now that you finally are…I _should _be happy, right?" Naruto's eyes lowered to the flower in his hands. "But now that I know the truth, now that I know what you went through to get here, what you were forced to do…I can't hate you anymore. So, I just want you to know, when I become Hokage…I'll do everything and anything I can to make sure that no one ever has to go through that again. It's a promise."

Naruto finished with an abrupt cough, and his eyes flickered to Kakashi before his feet shuffled forward and his hand lightly placed the bright blue flower on Itachi's chest. Kakashi's gaze then turned to me, and I felt my hands clenching into fists.

My head moved jerkily back and forth in response, feeling as if someone had forced my head to move that way.

I knew that I had nothing to say that would make amends for all of the blind hate I had bestowed on my older brother. I couldn't speak uselessly to a corpse. I would either speak to my brother face to face, or not at all. And since he was dead…I supposed that this guilt would always follow me.

I deserved it. I almost _cherished _it.

For as long as I carried this shame, my brother would always remain with me, giving me strength, giving me reason to seek out that need for vengeance – a feeling that seemed to follow me wherever I went.

And after my vengeance?

Hikari's face flashed before my mind, and without another word, I made the hand-seals, and a furiously hot inferno of fire welled out of my mouth and surrounded the pyre. The dry wood was quickly swallowed in the bright red-orange-gold flames, and I watched as the heat engulfed Itachi's form.

It took a few moments, but then the flames took hold, and my older brother's peaceful face was lost to me forever, the flames roaring – almost as loudly as the crashing of the waves – as they rose higher and higher into the sky.

* * *

Nineteen-year-old Ashi Inuzuka knew that she shouldn't be feeling so excited. The jounin was being sent on a top-secret and possibly life-endangering mission that would result in a long period of time away from her family and friends. She was being placed on a team with four complete strangers, one of which – it was Tsunade-sama's apprentice, a name that should be common knowledge, but somehow seemed to escape Ashi's memory – looked ready to keel over and puke her brains out. They were waiting for their team leader, an elite jounin by the name of Bou Sejino, and Ashi crossed her ankles and leaned against the wall lazily.

She was just too happy to be out and about again. For days, she had been restricted to the inner areas, and now was her chance to finally stretch her legs and get away from the sorrow that seemed to saturate the very _air _around what remained of Konohagakure. In taking this mission…she could forget about her troubles, if only for a little while.

Murasaki – Ashi's large wolf companion – was lying at Ashi's feet, and the canine glanced up at Ashi in silent question, her slanted amber eyes brightly contrasting against the dark brown-black color of her fur. Normally, if Ashi was with her usual jounin group, Murasaki would be up and sniffing and talking like she usually did. But since this was a new group, filled with unfamiliar scents and faces, Ashi shook her head softly, kneeling down to ruffle her companion's fur affectionately.

"I'd wait and see what this group's like, Saki. Let me do the talking for now," the young woman murmured, too low for the others to hear. Murasaki let out a huff of breath that could be translated to a human sigh of reluctant acceptance. Ashi smiled, rubbing briefly behind Murasaki's shoulders – a particularly itchy spot for the canine – before straightening once more.

Ashi turned to continue her scrutiny of the temporarily nameless pink-haired chuunin, and smiled when the girl glanced in her direction. The girl was obviously young, looking around the same age as her friend Hana's brother, Kiba. She had a heavy medic-nin pack on her shoulders, and by the ease in which she carried it, Ashi knew that this girl was a highly skilled medic. She had to be, to be qualified for this type of mission in the first place.

Finally, a broad-shouldered man with two short swords strapped to his back appeared in a cloud of smoke, an entrance which never failed to make Ashi's eyes roll in exasperation. Was it really so hard to walk, like a regular human being?

The man fixed his steely gaze on each member in turn, and Ashi took that chance to examine the other shinobi gathered off the side, just outside the gates of Konoha. There were five members in all (not including Murasaki), two female and three male.

Having already examined the pink-haired chuunin, Ashi focused her slanted eyes on the men. There was a Hyuuga with long brown hair and a stern face, but something…something was off about the boy's scent. It was, at first, as everything _should _be…but as Ashi focused, a much more feminine and terrified scent pushed through. The genjutsu was flawless – if it hadn't been for her exponentially heightened sense of smell, Ashi wouldn't have looked twice.

The scent distinctly Hyuuga – the different clans each had a different scent that was a result of kekkei genkai – but obviously female. The scent wasn't prominent enough for ordinary senses of smell, and so Ashi wasn't surprised to see the other shinobi acting as if nothing was amiss. Ashi glanced at Murasaki, who was staring at the Hyuuga boy with her head cocked slightly to the side.

So…the Hyuuga boy was actually a Hyuuga girl in disguise. What an interesting turn of events.

Murasaki gave Ashi another questioning look, this time in relation to whether they should reveal the genjutsu to the rest of the team. Ashi shook her head once more, and Murasaki gave her partner a toothy grin before sitting up to scratch behind her ear with one powerful hind leg.

As long as they had at least _one _Hyuuga on their team – Ashi couldn't care less if it was male or female – there was no reason to interfere.

Ashi leaned back against the wall, and watched as the leader began with a curt scowl. This guy was already looking like a spot of sunshine. Oh joy.

"Alright, let's quickly introduce ourselves, and get this mission underway," the man said, and then crossed his arms. "My name is Bou Sejino, and I'll be your squad leader for the duration of this mission."

Murasaki was alert now, her nose twitching as she memorized the leader's scent, and Ashi knew that as each introduced themselves, the canine would be focused on memorizing each and every smell that was exuded from the surrounding shinobi. It was customary for ninken to register the scents of their teammates in order to be able to distinguish between possible perpetrators and such. Bou jerked his head at the pink-haired medic, and the nervousness melted away for a moment as she smiled warmly at the group.

"I'm Sakura Haruno, and I'll be your medic. Please don't hesitate to come to me; we need everyone to be at their best for this mission."

Ah, that was the name. Sakura…how fitting. Ashi should have been able to guess…it was really silly for her to have such distinctive hair, but she had to admit, it added to her sweet and innocent charm.

The Hyuuga was next, and Ashi and Murasaki exchanged gleeful looks as the young man (young woman, in reality) cleared her throat.

"My name is Neji Hyuuga," she said curtly, a deep and cultured male voice emitted, and Ashi had to give the girl credit for sounding so at ease when her scent was crawling with panic. Ashi sent the girl a wide grin that the Hyuuga did not return. Oh well, Ashi would corner her soon enough.

The next was a young man who was obviously the oldest of the group, with shoulder-length blonde hair – tied back in a ponytail at the back of his neck – and vibrant blue eyes. He was attractive, Ashi supposed, but that was a common characteristic of the Yamanaka Clan. They were so used to staying in the background and peeking into people's minds that they were often delicate and soft, much too wimpy for Ashi's tastes.

"Hello, my name is Sora Yamanaka."

Ashi was next, and she grinned at them all. "I'm Ashi Inuzuka, and this is my ninken Murasaki! Nice to meet you all!"

Only Sakura smiled back at her. What a bunch of _icicles_...

Aiko leaned back against the wall as Bou began giving instructions, a small scowl on her face as she narrowed her eyes at everyone in the semi-circle.

Bou pursed his lips. "Alright, let's move out. Our main priority is to retrieve the Jinchuuriki. Eliminating the Uchiha only becomes an option when we get the Jinchuuriki out of harms way. Ashi, Murasaki and I will take lead. Sakura and Sora will take center, and Neji will bring up the rear. Be on the lookout at all times, and alert us immediately if anything looks suspicious. We'll discuss splitting up and scouting once we reach the border, understood?"

The entire team nodded, each adjusting their packs for the most comfortable position. Ashi grinned, her irritation forgotten as she leapt onto the back of Murasaki, gripping tightly with her knees as the ninken took off with an exuberant bark.


	12. Chapter 11

Hello again!

You all should be THANKING me right now - I have AP exams tomorrow, and yet I dutifully said "screw it" to my studies, and instead decided to power through this entire chapter (it only took like, three hours!).

I expect feedback cuz of this, peeps!

_**IMPORTANT NEWS**_: I have a new fanfiction out! It's an Avatar: The Last Airbender fiction called _Legend of the Unforeseen_.

I think it's got great potential (it's so AU it'll make your head spin, but I enjoy it) so if you could, **PLEASE GO CHECK IT OUT AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! **

Enjoy!

**_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

* * *

_Chapter 11_

Gaara sat silently, Temari and Kankuro standing near the window across from him, both wary as they stood guard. The young Kazekage had spent the last two days traveling to the Land of Iron, where the Kage Summit was to take place. It appeared that the other Kage hadn't arrived yet, and so he was directed rather coolly to a spacious hallway with benches on either side to wait. In his hands was the large, triangular shaped hat that had the symbol of his country proudly stitched in plain sight, and he slowly placed it on a space of empty bench beside him.

The Sand-nin was unwilling to admit that he felt something akin to nervousness at the thought of convening with four other Kage that were inevitably older and more proud than he was. The former Shukaku host did not fully understand his feelings of unease, and so naturally he could not afford for them to be expressed on his face.

Even after all this time, the only emotions he felt truly bound to where fear, pain, and hatred. Those feelings had, at one time in his life, ruled him utterly and completely. Now that he was free of the demon that he had considered – and still considered to be, in a strange, inexplicable way – his only true ally, he felt rather lonely.

The demon had known everything there was to know about him, and to have lost the one being that knew such things with no hope of ever retrieving that same suffocating connection with someone…it left Gaara feeling strangely empty. It had only been a year and a half since the Shukaku had been torn from him. It was a long time, and Gaara had found that he rather enjoyed the comfort and blissfulness of sleep after so many nights of being unable to engage in the act. But even so…his soul needed to adjust, and Gaara wished that he could somehow alleviate the process. _Perhaps this meeting will allow me to organize my thoughts_, Gaara mused silently.

The red haired young man sighed, folding his fingers together and leaning his chin against them, staring out the window with pale-teal eyes. The Land of Iron was dim and unremarkable, with featureless hills surrounding the stone building in which the summit was being held. The sky was cloudy, the snow falling softly and blanketing everything in a shapeless white layer, and the trees that were visible were bereft of leaves as well as any animal life that might have inhabited the branches.

Gaara could see why it was such an appreciated neutral zone for the shinobi nations. There were no distinguishing elements nor colors to show or signify favor or influence, it was truly a place that did not partake in sides. It was merely itself, with nothing else to influence its decisions.

Gaara continued to stare out the window, and was distracted by a loud voice booming into the hallway. The young man turned quickly to see an impossibly short old man with a rather large and red nose being carried by a large, round-faced shinobi with a rather good-natured air to him. To the side of the odd looking pair was a slender young woman – she didn't look to be much older than seventeen or eighteen – with short black hair and eyes that were the strangest shade of magenta. Her face was set in serious wariness, but Gaara noticed that her eyes were sparkling with anticipation, betraying her concealed excitement.

The young Kazekage stood at their approach, his head bowing briefly to acknowledge the old man. From the two guards' headbands as well as the symbol on the old man's triangular hat, Gaara noted that they were from Iwagakure, and that the red-nosed man was the Tsuchikage. Gaara had never met the leader in person before this point, and so did not greet him by name, rather, he offered his own.

"Greetings. My name is Gaara, and I am the Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure. These are my escorts, Temari and Kankuro," he said politely, and Temari and Kankuro each bowed to the Tsuchikage as they were introduced.

The old man motioned for the large guard to let him down, and the young shinobi did that without hesitation. The young woman snorted as her leader stumbled, and the Tsuchikage sent her a furious glare before turning to consider Gaara. There was a moment of tense silence, and the older man finally sniffed arrogantly, crossing his stubby arms over his chest.

"I am Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure. This is Kurotsuchi," he motioned to the young woman, who did not bow, instead turning her head dismissively and examining her fingernails with a bored expression. Gaara held up a restraining hand to prevent Temari from responding angrily to the blatant lack of respect, and listened as Ōnoki continued.

"And this here is Akatsuchi." The young man politely inclined his upper body in a bow that was slightly deeper than necessary – a sign of goodwill – a kind small frown on his face as he glared lightly at his female comrade for not doing the same. Kankuro was scowling at Kurotsuchi, who was scowling right back, and with equal force. Gaara sighed, disliking the hostiles that were already forming – he could care less if the kunoichi chose not to acknowledge his position; there were more important things to worry about at the present.

Ōnoki glanced around, his thick brows furrowing when his gaze beheld only the empty hallway beyond Gaara and his siblings. "Has no one else arrived yet?"

"No, but I'm sure that it wont be long," Gaara murmured, his red hair gleaming in the bright fluorescent light that shone from the ceiling. Kurotsuchi scoffed at that, and Gaara let his gaze finally rest upon her. The young woman was smirking derisively, and he raised an eyebrow in silent question.

"Is there something you would like to say to me, kunoichi?" he asked quietly, letting a tiny bit of his irritation show in the use of her title rather than her given name. Kurotsuchi put her hand on her hip, and her magenta eyes narrowed.

But she said nothing.

Gaara sighed. "If you have nothing to say, then hear this. I am not your enemy in this current situation. Our nations have been enemies in the past, and very well may be at odds once more in the future. But in the present, here and now, we must put aside our discord and work together to fight a force that is bigger than all of us. Your obvious show of disapproval will do nothing more than create more conflict."

Kurotsuchi's lips pursed angrily, but she continued to remain silent under the piercing stare of the Kazekage. Gaara remained there for a few moments, and then turned away from the trio of Iwagakure shinobi. Kankuro and Temari followed Gaara as he made his way toward the meeting room. He would wait in there until the rest of the Kage arrived; he needed time to think, and it was obvious that he wasn't going to get any peace while under the scrutiny of Kurotsuchi and her Tsuchikage.

Gaara was about to open the door when Ōnoki's voice rang out in the hallway, loud and powerful for such a tiny man.

"You are close to the Nine-Tails Jinnchuriki, are you not?"

That made Gaara stop, and his teal eyes narrowed at the flippant use of the word "Jinnchuriki". The man made the word sound almost animalistic, a phrase that was used to describe something distasteful to him. That made Gaara's hackles rise almost instinctively. If he were a different kind of person, he might have turned and yelled at the Tsuchikage, angrily defending the title of Jinnchuriki.

_If I were more like Naruto, _Gaara thought grimly, and was glad that his back was still turned, because it gave him time to wipe his face of all anger before shifting to face the Tsuchikage. The older man was standing with his feet braced apart, his hand tenderly supporting his hip as he stared inquisitively at the Kazekage. Gaara felt a wave of dislike rise in him at the sight of the man's seemingly permanent look of arrogance that marred his brow.

"What of it?" Gaara asked coolly, and Ōnoki's brow rose at the young Kazekage's tone. The older man flared, his hands clenching as he rose up to his full – and rather diminutive – height.

"There's no reason to get snippy with _me_, boy! I was just surprised; it seems strange that such a close friend of the Jinnchuriki would still be ignorant of the situation," he said, his eyes narrowing.

Gaara's emotions flared at that, and his mind quickly struggled to figure out what could possibly be wrong involving Naruto. The Kazekage hadn't been in contact with Konohagakure for several months now, and it was only a week ago that he was informed of the Akatsuki's attack on the village, the utter destruction that the attack had caused, and the condition of the comatose Hokage as well as the name of the replacement that was being sent to the Summit. There had been no mention of Naruto or anything involving the Jinnchuriki…so what could possibly be amiss?

"Enlighten me," Gaara stated curtly, his tone leaving no room for argument. The young kunoichi beside Ōnoki gasped in astonishment, her eyes flaring as she stepped forward in furious outrage. Kankuro and Temari tensed immediately, and the young woman reluctantly stepped back once more under their stony glares, her face set with anger.

"Hey, you have no right–"

"If you have _any_ sense of self-preservation, I suggest that you be _quiet_," Gaara snarled. Kurotsuchi blinked at the cold anger that was being exuded from Gaara's form, and her voice immediately trailed into silence. Gaara took a deep breath, and turned to Ōnoki. "If you cannot teach her proper manners, I will have no choice but to do so myself. To you I am impossibly young, but I assure you, I have no qualms in removing your guard's arms if she dares to question my authority again."

Kurotsuchi's face did not reveal any fear, instead darkening in hatred as she defiantly turned her head to the side. Ōnoki did not acknowledge the threat, instead eyeing Gaara with smug eyes. Gaara knew that he had just proved Ōnoki right in mocking his youth; he had let his emotions rule his actions, and for that he would pay in the battle of politics that was to be fought sooner than later. But Gaara did not waver in his resolve, and after a moment he took a deep breath and straightened. Ōnoki smirked.

"How such an unstable boy such as yourself became Kazekage is beyond me…"

Gaara did not take the bait that Ōnoki was tempting his anger with, instead smiling slightly. It took all of his self-control to keep his voice neutral and cordial, and he crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke.

"It isn't an issue of _how _I became Kazekage, the reality of our situation suggests otherwise. Unless you are planning to eliminate my presence from this world in the near future, I _am _currently the Kazekage of Sunagakure, and I will retain my position until I choose to relinquish it. Here and now, we are equally influential leaders of great shinobi nations. That fact cannot be disputed. As such, I ask that you _inform me_ of the situation involving Naruto Uzumaki."

Ōnoki scowled. "Cheeky brat. But you make a good point. The situation is that of the Nine-Tails Jinnchuriki's whereabouts. Sasuke Uchiha has kidnapped him and is – we believe – planning to trade the Nine-Tailed-Fox for something in return, something precious that the Akatsuki have within their grasp. The Uchiha is now marked an S-rank criminal, and is to be killed on sight."

Gaara's eyes widened, and the air went deathly still as his mind labored to comprehend what had just been spoken.

_Naruto's eyes were wide and warm as he grinned sheepishly. "I guess this is the part where we're supposed to shake hands, but I don't know if you want to–"_

_What happened next was instinctive. Gaara didn't think about it, nor did he care that no thought had gone into the action. He wasn't going to bother himself with the feelings of uncertainty, it was time that he just _let _the emotions come and do what they will. _

_Gaara's hand rose, and with it, a small tendril of sand rose as well – weak and faltering, as a result of the absence of Shukaku – and tugged on Naruto's hand, urging it to rise. Not a word was said between the two of them after that, but Naruto's grin of happiness said it all. The two boys shook hands, the sand tightening around their palms and Gaara's lips twitching upward in a small, but impossibly relieved smile. _

_They were friends. _

Gaara cleared his throat, struggling to contain himself as his voice echoed sharply in the tense silence.

"Naruto…_kidnapped_?"

* * *

Hinata was terrified, to say the least.

Somehow, by the act of some merciful god or other entity that was unknown to her, she had managed to fool the other high-ranking shinobi into thinking that she was in fact Neji Hyuuga. How she had pulled that off was _still _a mystery, but Hinata was too focused on the mission at hand to give it much thought.

As was decided at the beginning of the mission, she was running rear, her legs struggling to keep up with the rest as they sped ahead of her. The snow was covering everything in a glittery, beautiful layer of snow, and the air was crisp and clean, biting at her lungs as she breathed in and out. Her Byakugan was out, dutifully scanning the trees for potential enemies, her mind swimming with underlying panic.

Naruto was missing. Whether the reason was to rescue a friend or something completely different and unrelated, the prospect of Naruto alone with only Sasuke to protect him still sent fear trickling down Hinata's spine. Along with the fear, Hinata also felt sadness and embarrassment. At the thought, her stab wound – it ached and stung, still healing after the sword she had taken to the abdomen – tingled ominously, and she gritted her teeth to ward off the pain.

Hinata had finally told Naruto of her true feelings.

After nearly five years of trying to express her feelings, she had finally done so, and in front of everyone. There had been no stuttering, no hesitation, and most of all…no _fear_. But now that it was over, and nothing had been said by Naruto or by anyone else concerning the proclamation, reality was slowly settling in.

She should have expected this. Of course Naruto wouldn't want to hurt her feelings too badly, and so he had effectively let her down easy by not mentioning it and embarrassing her further. Or perhaps he had forgotten the declaration entirely, and that was an even worse realization to accept.

She really was nothing to him but a strange, shy girl who always fainted whenever they were in close proximity. How could Hinata even hope to compare with strong, beautiful, _confident _Sakura? There wasn't any hope for her, so why was she even entertaining the thought that maybe…just _maybe_…Naruto was thinking of her?

Hinata had always been a hopeless romantic.

But she was also a kunoichi, and so she had trained herself to accept disappointment with a straight face, and to push aside personal emotion in favor of the task at hand. Well…that's what was _expected _of her, anyway. Emotions were often impossible to conceal completely, even for elite shinobi.

No wonder Hinata's father favored Hanabi. She was so much _stronger_ than Hinata was; in skill and in containing her emotions.

The kunoichi winced as her foot landed on the branch rather awkwardly, sending a sudden jolt of pain up her stomach, and Sakura glanced back worriedly. The pink-haired medic slowed, running alongside Hinata, green eyes scanning Hinata's form.

"Neji, are you alright?"

Hinata was still having trouble responding to her cousin's name, and so it took her a moment to respond. "Yes, I am fine."

"You don't look fine, Neji. Are you sure…wait…is that _blood_?" Sakura's voice rose in surprise, and Hinata's heart nearly stopped as she looked down. Her stitches had torn open, and her wound was bleeding again. The red was soaking through her shirt – it couldn't be covered by the illusion – and Hinata blinked rapidly to keep back panicked tears. Her eyes locked with Sakura's, and Sakura's face frowned as her green eyes noted the shiny sheen to Hinata's eyes – to the medic, they were the uncharacteristically teary eyes of the oh-so stoic Neji Hyuuga.

Hinata could practically see Sakura's brain working and clogging away – remembering the stab wound she had treated on a familiar Hyuuga not three days ago, the location, the size – and Hinata's stomach turned when a look of pure and unadulterated shock creased Sakura's face. Those emerald eyes grew so wide that they bulged slightly, and Hinata's eyes lowered in shame that she had been found out so easily.

"H-_Hinata_?"

Sakura's voice was impossibly soft, and before Hinata could say anything, there was a sudden sound as the ninken Murasaki barked loudly, putting the entire group on alert. The Inuzuka – Ashi, her name was – called back, her voice muted in the strange muffled air of the snow.

"We've got Kumogakure shinobi up ahead…it looks like the Raikage and his guards on their way to the Kage Summit!"

Bou frowned. "Alright, we're going to intercept them, just so they don't think we're enemy ninja tracking them. They've probably already sensed our presence, so there's no point in trying to hide."

The rest of the team nodded before slowly beginning their descent from the trees, and Sakura sent Hinata a silent look before tugging a roll of bandages out of her bag. Hinata winced as the medic began wrapping the cloth snugly around Hinata's middle, effectively putting pressure on the wound and covering the blood. It really was quite a feat, seeing as they were still in motion, and Sakura gave Hinata a serious look as she tugged the Hyuuga's cloak shut over the bandaging, hiding it from sight.

"You're going to explain this to me later," Sakura whispered, her voice stern.

Hinata nodded, and the two of them separated, both landing in the snow almost silently, running to catch up with the group.


	13. Chapter 12

I KNOW, I KNOW...I SAID I WAS PUTTING THIS ON HOLD!

But I've been working on this chapter FOREVER, and I finally finally finished it! I just HAD to give you all one last chapter before I left!

I'm seriously on hiatus after this though guys!

I hope you guys enjoy!

**_PLEASE REVIEW! PRETTY PLEASE? _**

* * *

_Chapter 12_

Suigetsu watched, his arms crossed, as Aiko pulled the gaudy silver brush through her hair, her blue-gray eyes staring at the small expanse of wood that made up the bottom half of the dresser. Her eyes refused to move from that spot, which was strange for her. Normally, she would look in the mirror every so often, making sure her hair looked flawless for that Uchiha bastard.

Madara was making his first move today. News had come from several of his spies that the Kage Summit was being held only twenty miles to the west, in the Land of Iron. The Uchiha hadn't told Suigetsu many details about his own plans, only that the Water-nin and Aiko would be on a separate mission alongside Madara, a mission that would involve the assassination of one of the Kage. Someone by the name of Danzō. Sounded vaguely familiar…was he from Konoha?

Suigetsu didn't – and couldn't – ask why this particular leader disrupted Madara's plans, and so instead he had obediently relayed the information to Aiko, who had begun packing immediately. Suigetsu watched her pack with a sick feeling to his stomach – her lack of passion was beginning to wear on him, as well as the fact that each day, he could feel _her_ slipping away from him. Suigetsu wasn't used to feeling so many complex emotions, and that confused him even more.

He had been there for several weeks now, and yet he was no closer to rescuing the girl he had secretly sworn to protect. The thought filled him with uncontrollable anger, and his eyes narrowed as they observed the creature that had his friend's appearance, but none of her spirit, none of her peculiar humor, and none of her sharpness.

Aiko was like a ball of clay; soft, malleable, never taking a shape of its own free will.

The young man shifted, never once letting his eyes stray from her form. She still refused to look in the mirror, and her mouth was twisted into a sort of frown. Her hair was flat and smooth under her ministrations, but there was something odd about the way that it fell loosely around her shoulders and lower back. Now that Suigetsu looked more closely, he realized that it wasn't just her hair. Her eyes, the tension to her jaw, the way her fingers curved around the brush handle…they all were _off_ in some indescribable way.

What was wrong with her?

Aiko stood before Suigetsu had a chance to examine her further, and without a moment's hesitation, shouldered her pack and walked out of the room. Suigetsu scrambled to follow, tightening the straps around his sword as he went. Aiko strode down the hallway of the underground complex that was Madara's base, her arms folding across her middle as if to ward off a sudden chill.

* * *

Danzō sat silently in his chair, watching as the other Kage sized up the surrounding shinobi, daring one of them to begin the meeting. The Raikage was bristling with restrained impatience, while the other Kage – including Danzō himself – were calm, silently waiting for someone to speak. Danzō knew that he himself must not speak yet, for he had to formulate his thoughts based on the feelings of the other Kage. His eye flickered toward Mifune, who was successfully being influenced by Danzō's Sharingan. It had only taken a second, to act as though he was removing his Hokage hat, while in reality pulling back the bandages and flashing his Sharingan for the briefest moment. Planting the seed that the Kage should unite, and under Danzō's rule. If all went according to plan, Mifune wouldn't even be aware of the influence, thinking that the idea was in fact his own.

It would all be perfect. The pieces had been nudged…all Danzō had to do now was be patient until the pieces fell into place. And if it was one thing that Danzō had perfected, it was being patient. He had waited his entire life for this title and this opportunity; he could afford to wait a little longer.

Fū and Torune – his Root bodyguards – stood silently and cautiously behind him, their eyes never ceasing in their careful scan of the guards positioned behind the other leaders. Compared to the rest, the Kage were strangely calm, the eye of the storm, while the guards and other escorts were bristling with distrust and with restrained hostility.

Finally, after several tense minutes, the Kazekage – the only leader that Danzō knew by first name – folded his hands together, his pale teal eyes staring directly at Danzō for a moment before drifting to include the rest of the leaders present at the table.

"I once was a host of a Tailed Beast, and it was forcibly taken from me by the Akatsuki. I've thought them as a serious threat for quite some time now, and yet when I sent out a call to arms, only Konohagakure responded," Gaara stated coolly, his voice bereft of any underlying anger or bitterness.

The Third Tsuchikage snorted at that. "Why should we bother ourselves with the pitiful pleas of a village that cannot even defend its own Jinnchuriki? I for one refuse to believe that the stronger nations are required to _leap_ to the defense of the weaker ones!"

"This is no longer a threat that can be handled by a single nation, Tsuchikage," Gaara responded curtly. "And I assure you, Sunagakure is _not _weak. I thought you to be above such petty insults."

Danzō had to fight to restrain a smile at the tense irritation that bled through Gaara's polite façade. It would seem that the boy was not as impenetrable as he seemed. Danzō wondered what the Tsuchikage had done to get under the Kazekage's nerves, and settled back to watch as the older Kage huffed murderously.

The Tsuchikage fixed his bloodshot, rather widely spaced eyes on the young redhead, his mouth curving into a scowl. "Watch your tongue, brat!"

The Mizukage – a beautiful woman with long auburn hair and green eyes – leaned forward slightly, her mouth twitching into a smile.

"Can we _please _stay on topic? I for one would like for Gaara to have a chance to speak."

Gaara nodded to her in silent thanks, and cleared his throat. "From what I have heard, a large percentage of the Akatsuki members have been dealt with. But they still continue to pose a threat. They seek the two remaining Jinnchuriki, the Eight-Tailed-Ox and the Nine-Tailed-Fox."

The Raikage shifted in his seat, his muscles rippling menacingly as he glowered at the Kazekage. "I believe that this is a prime opportunity to make it known that the Nine-Tailed-Fox is no longer within the control of Konohagakure. From what my messengers tell me, the Jinnchuriki is missing."

Danzō folded his fingers together as he responded, ignoring the angry murmurs that rose up as a result of the Raikage's announcement. "A shinobi by the name of Sasuke Uchiha, a teammate and supposed confidant of the Jinnchuriki, has in fact kidnapped the Fox and is planning to deliver the Jinnchuriki in exchange for something the Akatsuki have in their possession."

The Kage around the table were shocked into silence, and Danzō saw that Gaara's hands had tightened around each other, his teal eyes boring into Danzō's from across the table. Silence assumed control for several impenetrable seconds as Danzō let his statement sink into the minds of the spectators. The Raikage's thick white brow furrowed, and his great hands folded slowly together, and Danzō could see that the man was fighting to remain calm.

"And what is it exactly that the Akatsuki have?" Gaara asked quietly, his voice resonating in the airy room, and the Raikage nodded in reluctant affirmation to the Kazekage's inquiry. The Mizukage leaned back in her chair, her pale green eyes flickering from Gaara to Danzō.

Danzō let out a small sigh. "A girl by the name of Hikari," Danzō rustled through his papers, and after a moment of searching withdrew a picture of the kunoichi in question. He held it up, and the Kage all fixed their gazes on the image with frightening intensity. "But what the Uchiha refuses to accept is the fact that Hikari went to the Akatsuki of her own free will. In associating with her, he is also placing himself in the ranks of missing-nin, and is to be assassinated on sight along with her."

"And you're saying that Naruto was kidnapped by Sasuke, and did not go with him willingly? The two are remarkably close, after all…" Gaara asked, and Danzō felt his composure slip for the briefest second. The Kazekage couldn't know of his lie. He was just speculating, and if Danzō played his cards right, that's all the man would do.

Danzō bowed his head in acknowledgement. "The Jinnchuriki was indeed kidnapped, Kazekage. There is no doubt."

"What evidence do you have?"

"Are you insinuating that–" Danzō began curtly, but was interrupted by the cool voice of Gaara, whose hands were now loose and seemingly relaxed. But Danzō could see that the young man was merely attempting to hide his irritation, as one of the guards behind him shifted slightly in trepidation. The red haired Kazekage seemed to gain strength from the slightly panicked jolt that flit across Danzō's face before he could hide it completely.

The Kazekage stood, and with a deep breath, began in a low, uncharacteristically soft voice.

"I was a Jinnchuriki until recently. I don't know how close you all were to your village's Jinnchuriki, but I can assume that most of you were less than accepting. For what other option was there? We're monsters, abominations, but not natural abominations. We were doomed from the moment we were born, doomed to accept the village's hatred and be blamed for its mistakes. As Kazekage, I have found that I am often still blamed for the less positive aspects of my village, but it is not, and never will be, the same. We Jinnchuriki – and yes, I still consider myself one – are a cursed race. We are forced be host to some of the cruelest, most bloodthirsty creatures alive, and yet do you thank us?" Gaara snorted, and continued, "Of course you don't! Do you even stop to _wonder_ what kind of life we have suffered, always hearing the Tailed Beast whispering and hissing and trying to chip away at our stability? Some are strong enough to bear it, others…aren't."

Gaara's eyes closed, showing the shadowy eyelids. The room was so soundless and still that a fly could have landed on the wall and the sound of its landing would have caused every single person to jump. Gaara seemed to pause in order to formulate his thoughts, and before anyone could speak, his voice echoed once more.

"I was one such Jinnchuriki. I was denied any love from my family; I was isolated, hated, and despised by everyone who knew what I was. I was so alone, and no one ever cared enough to try and restrain me. Killing wasn't something to be avoided, I relished it. Everyone was to blame, everyone was an enemy, even my own siblings," he said, and Danzō saw the two guards behind him share a quick look.

"I was unstable; afraid to close my eyes for fear that the Shukaku would finally consume my soul. It constantly roared in my chest, it screamed its hatred of me – the one who contained it – and its plans if I dared let my guard down for one moment. It wasn't until I met another Jinnchuriki that I finally was able to come to terms with my condition, and it wasn't until the Shukaku was pulled from me that I knew true peace. Death was so peaceful compared to the constant fear. But…not all Jinnchuriki were blessed with a medic-nin who was willing to give her life in order to save mine. I came back, and with new eyes I saw Naruto Uzumaki."

Gaara held up a hand to interrupt Danzō as the man tried to speak.

"Naruto Uzumaki – I detest that none of you seem to understand that we Jinnchuriki have names like ever other human being – is more powerful than anyone in this room. We all know that the Nine-Tailed-Fox is the most dangerous of the Tailed Beasts, and yet do you see it? Do you see in Naruto's eyes the murderous glint of the Fox? No…because Naruto has strength I wish I had, and that I think everyone can see if they dare to look past his rather obnoxious personality. Naruto Uzumaki is able to be himself even with the Fox tormenting him, torturing his mind with evil ideas and thoughts, and was able to save someone like me, a person who bordering on insanity."

Gaara then leaned forward, placing his hands on the table to support himself, and Danzō felt a pang of unease.

"I do not believe for one second that Naruto Uzumaki was kidnapped by Sasuke Uchiha, Hokage, and so I suppose I _am _insinuating that you are lying to us in order to achieve personal goals. And so I challenge you to provide me with legitimate evidence that Naruto Uzumaki was in fact kidnapped – memories, eye-witnesses, anything you have."

Gaara continued to stare Danzō down, and the Hokage knew that Gaara had been planning this. But how had he known? How had he possibly found out? Or was this all speculation? If it was speculation, it sure didn't sound like it.

"Until you do so, Hokage, my village and I will assume that Naruto Uzumaki went with Sasuke Uchiha of his own free will, and will make no attempts on Sasuke's life. We will offer sanctuary if they need it, and will defend them to our last standing shinobi."

Gaara's eyes swept to include all of the staring Kage, and with a flourish he sat back down, and folded his hands, a cool look of triumph on his face as he beheld the utterly dumbfounded expressions of the shinobi leaders.

When all eyes began to drift to the replacement Hokage, Danzō felt the beginning stabs of panic.

* * *

I sat on my haunches, peeking quickly into the window. After carefully scanning, moved back to where Kakashi and Naruto were silently crouched. We were hundreds of feet above the ground, perched on either side of one of the great glass windows of the building. I could feel Madara's chakra in this place; pulsing, waiting, and as evil as it was the first time I encountered it. I swallowed, careful to keep my chakra completely suppressed. We couldn't afford to have anyone aware of our presence until the time was right.

The snow was falling more thickly now in the Land of Iron, and Naruto shook his head to clear the wet blonde spikes of the powdery stuff. Kakashi waited expectantly, and I frowned as I explained what I had seen.

"There are only two samurai guards, but they're impatient. If we wait a few minutes, they'll probably leave."

Kakashi shook his head. "No, they'll stay where they are until they receive orders. Samurai are strict followers of their leaders, nothing but direct orders will sway them. I propose that we enter through the ventilation…it doesn't require any chakra, and will keep our presence hidden for a little while longer."

Naruto shifted impatiently, his hands slightly blue as he tightened his cloak. "Okay, okay, I don't care what we do, but can it _please _involve getting inside as quickly as possible? It's freaking cold out here!" he hissed, his teeth chattering. I knew how he felt; without chakra constantly pulsing through our channels – as it usually did when we allowed our chakra to rise to normal levels – our bodies were just as vulnerable to cold as any common civilian. My toes had gone numb a long time ago, and my nose felt like ice when I rubbed it. Kakashi's eye flickered to the wire vent present only ten feet away, and I nodded as his plan.

"Alright, let's go," I whispered, and Naruto was the first to climb up the sides of the metal building, the ridges proving effective handholds, and Kakashi quickly followed. I watched as the two shimmied their way up to the vent, and hurriedly mimicked them, wincing as the coldness rebelled against my hands moving to grip the metal.

Kakashi was already cutting open the thick wires when I reached them, which proved to be a little harder without the use of chakra, but still doable. In less than a minute, there was a gaping hole that was large enough for a large man, and Naruto clambered inside without a moment's hesitation.

I went next, and found myself in a large vent – just large enough for us to crawl on hands and knees – that held stale air and the underlying hum of the generators. The interior of the pipe was cool, but such a relief from the freezing chill of the outside that it felt pleasantly warm against my skin. I let out a low sigh as Kakashi crawled in, glancing at the silver-haired man as he carefully placed the circle of wire back where he found it, making the vent look like it was still intact.

Naruto looked around curiously, rubbing his hands together to regain some color to the numb fingers, and I nudged him forward. "Move it, Idiot."

"Shut it, Emo!" he snarled, and Kakashi's voice sharply interrupted before I could respond.

"Enough. This isn't the time. Keep your senses alert for Madara's signature, and remember," Kakashi focused on Naruto. "If it looks like Sasuke and I wont get out alive, Naruto…do _not _stay and help us. Get out of here as quickly as possibly, and teleport as far away as you can. From there, go back to Konohagakure. Madara's goal is to capture you, and if he does…he will be that much closer to destroying the world. Do you understand?"

I nodded, and Naruto scowled, his voice angry. "I would never–"

"_Naruto_!" Kakashi barked, and Naruto sighed deeply before slowly nodding in reluctant acceptance. Kakashi's voice was softer, less scolding, as he went on, "Good. Now get moving."

Scowling, Naruto began making his way down the metal pipe, and I followed him, letting my senses expand to try and locate Madara's chakra. It was still there, but it was so faint that I had trouble telling from where.

It was for nearly half an hour that we crawled, and by the time we reached the end, my shoulders were beginning to ache from the tightness of the pipe, and I waited as Naruto began unlatching the small door that allowed for repairs. The blonde slowly pulled it up, careful to remain silent, and poked his head down for the briefest second.

My heart began to pound as I waited for Naruto's verdict, my limbs trembling as adrenaline began to pump though my veins. I could feel Kakashi tensing behind me, and I prepared to shoot myself back. If someone was there…

"It's all clear!" Naruto hissed, and without further ado flipped down and out of the pipe. My chest relaxed, and I quickly dropped out of the pipe after Naruto, both of us pulling out weapons. Naruto flipped out a kunai, and I held my sword – also known as Kusanagi – at the ready while we waited for Kakashi.

Kakashi's feet touched the ground, and–

_**BOOM!**_

The explosion was so intense that all three of us were blown off our feet, and only barely managed to flatten ourselves to the opposite wall, instinctively using chakra to keep us safely attached. My eardrums were ringing painfully, but I could still hear to an extent. Yells, the sound of metal biting metal – muffled because of the effect of the explosion on my ears – and the dust from the crumbled cement filled the air. The dust caught uncomfortably in my throat, stinging my eyes and making me cough. I squinted through the dust with Sharingan eyes, dropping to the ground silently, and holding Kusanagi at the ready.

A dark shape darted from the fray, so quickly that even with the Sharingan all I caught was the sight of a face half hidden by thick bandages. With a jolt of surprise, I recognized the man to be Danzō. The older shinobi leapt and crashed through the glass window, and the sound of footsteps caught my attention. The dust was slowly clearing, and my eyes widened as I saw a familiar figure – so familiar that I felt my chest clench painfully – part from the dust and jump through the broken glass window, disappearing from sight.

"Sasuke–" Kakashi yelled, trying to detain me, but I was already gone, running as fast as I could. The air whipped at my skin as I fell toward the snowy earth, my crimson eyes locking on a rapidly disappearing figure.

The figure had only been visible for the briefest second, and from what I had seen, it was completely cloaked in black, with a facemask and a hood to cover its hair.

But I knew that run, I recognized the sight of those arms pumping furiously, I _knew _the sound of _her_ breathing in the thick of a battle. I had trained her, I had taught her so well that her speed was only barely below mine. When it came to her, there were no hesitations; there were no second guesses.

Hikari was running after the replacement Hokage, and I had no choice – the other options didn't even enter my mind – but to follow.


	14. Chapter 13

**OH MY GOD I FINALLY UPDATED!  
**

I hope you all know how ashamed I am right now...I promised mid August, and you guys get early September. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'M SORRY!

It's hard having 12 stories to update, and sometimes my muse just...isnt working. So again, I'm sorry...

I hope you guys havent given up on me, and I **_hope you guys enjoy!  
_**

**_IMPORTANT READER NOTE: We're getting into some technical territory. _**

**_I love having real, manga-savvy info in my stories, but understand that I'm not here to feed you a fanfic version of the manga events. I'm going to be changing and shifting things around, so please PLEASE...don't review to tell me how "Hinata would never do..." "Danzo isnt able to do that jutsu" or "This specific event never happened" or "this jutsu isnt real".  
_**

**_Frankly, my readers, I don't give a damn._**

**_ I love your opinions, but this is MY story. I will do whatever I damn well please. I dont mean to sound snitty, but its just...on other stories where I change things, I've gotten plenty of "thats not possible" or "that didnt happen" reviews. They are not appreciated! _**

PLEASE REVIEW! =D

* * *

Chapter 13

* * *

Naruto knew that following Sasuke would be pointless; trying to grab him when he moved at that speed would be like trying to grab a terrified seal that's been covered in oil: damn near impossible. The blonde felt a jolt of hope as he caught sight of the Uchiha's face, the expression so full of shock and joy that Naruto felt a breath of relief leave his chest.

Sasuke had found Hikari. How Naruto knew this, he could not say. All he knew was that she was here.

Somewhere nearby.

Naruto knew that if Hikari was within twenty miles, Sasuke would find her. He was kind of a pro at the whole "tracking-down-for-personal-reasons" thing. Itachi was one crucial example, and Team Hawk was another. When Sasuke wanted something, really _needed _something…it was hard for even someone as strong as Naruto to stand in his way. When that happened, a small burning spark could be found in Sasuke's usually depthless eyes, and for once Naruto would be able to see all the emotions Sasuke felt that he had to hide behind his cool exterior. Pain, joy, anger, and fear…and love.

Love was such a powerful thing. Such a petrifying thing. It was exhilarating, but it also filled a heart – especially one that was usually so confident and alive – with fear when it least expected it. Naruto had felt that with Sakura many times, and at that time, the fear had been so overwhelming that he almost couldn't stand to breathe. It had been so frightening that it felt as if Naruto's limbs froze as if to preserve the fear before it consumed him.

"_Naruto…I love you!" _

But then…he had seen a dark haired girl, pinned to the ground, helpless as Naruto himself. The pain of the metal puncturing his hands and legs was nothing compared to the blinding rage and terror that pulsed through his ears and chest at the sight of Pain slowly lifting his purple eyes to gaze at Naruto's panic-stricken face. At the sound of metal whoosing…and then the sickening _thud_ of the sword piercing a defenseless abdomen…

Everything had gone white. There were no words to properly convey the fury that enveloped Naruto's brain at that moment in time. If Hinata – awkward, innocent, brave Hinata – was dead, then there was no justice in the world. There could not, _could not_, be fairness and kindness…and Naruto would make Pain pay…

Hinata said that she loved him. Did that mean that she loved the demon inside of him as well? Did she just love the hero everyone considered him, or did she–

_"You've always been so strong…and encouraged me even when I was weak and useless. You never showed any sadness, you always had a smile…you don't know how much I admire you, Naruto-kun. Without you…I wouldn't be the kunoichi I am today. Thank you." _

No, her words had been sincere.

What now?

Naruto was so confused. He had never had a girl actually _love _him before. Sakura loved him, sure, but that was the love one had for a brother, or a best friend. Sakura loved him, but she didn't have that spark for him that she had once had for Sasuke. He could tell that her mind was elsewhere, struggling to make a place for herself that separated her from the lovesick girl she had once been.

_ "You will know pain when you witness the death of someone who loves you unconditionally…you will know pain when you can do nothing to help them…"_

Did that mean–

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble beneath them, and Naruto felt Kakashi's hand on his arm, yanking him out of the way as two figures suddenly crashed through the ground beneath them. Naruto coughed as even more dust filled his lungs, and squinted through the cloud of debris to see a freaky looking figure – half of his body was white, while the other was a sicky looking green – fighting Gaara of the Sand.

"Gaara!" he yelled before he could help himself, and the Sand-nin's head whipped around so fast Naruto flinched. Teal eyes, ringed with dark kohl rings, widened in shock as they met cerulean ones, and before Naruto could react, a rope of sand encircled him and threw him to the ground.

"Hey!" the blonde yelled, only to realize that the green and white ninja had thrown several kunai at him, and that if Gaara hadn't pulled him down, he would have been hit. Naruto got to his feet, the sand dissolving around him as he went, and the enemy ninja cocked his head too much for it to be natural, sharpened teeth gleaming even through the dust.

"Oh oh oh, the little Jinnchuriki finally decides to join the game…how delicious…"

The voice was high and wicked, and Naruto glared defiantly at the shinobi, his teeth grinding together as he shifted into his attack stance. A kunai flicked to his hand, and cerulean eyes hardened into shards of hatred.

"What've you bastards done with Hikari?" Naruto snarled, and Kakashi stiffened by his side. Gaara frowned, and before anyone could respond, another earth-shuddering boom made the entire building shake from side to side.

"What the hell is going on?" Naruto shrieked as he was once more forced to use chakra to prevent him from being forcefully crushed – the shaking sent him flying to the side. The green and white shinobi smirked once more before melting eerily into the ground, out of sight. A flash of pink filled his vision, and suddenly Sakura was there, her fist glowing menacingly, and her sea-foam eyes widening as they caught sight of the blonde clinging desperately to the nearest wall. Her lips parted in a grin of relief, and she leapt to his side, yanking him off the wall and looking at him for a moment before smacking him soundly over the head. It was an affectionate blow, even though it made Naruto's head ring for a moment or two, and he grinned sheepishly at her.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan…"

Sakura scowled at him. "You idiot…I'm just glad you haven't been captured yet. Danzō has us after you, but I don't know–"

She was cut off, because a muscular man with two swords strapped to his back suddenly tackled Naruto. The sudden attack resulted in Naruto's breath being knocked out of his chest, and his head snapped solidly against the cement of the unstable ground beneath them. Lights swam before the blonde's eyes, and a curt voice echoed in his mind.

"You, Naruto Uzumaki, are coming with us."

"No, Bou, he isn't!" a familiar voice yelled, low and full of uncharacteristic panic, and Naruto was aware – through a hazy mist – that the weight of the other man was lifted off of his form.

"N…Ne…Ne…" Naruto tried to say the name that associated itself with the indignant voice, but the name eluded him at the moment. The blonde stayed down, blinking stupidly to try and clear his muddled headache. Hands touched his face, and Naruto felt immediately better, recognizing the calm glow of Sakura's healing chakra. The blonde was able to sit up after a minute or so, and his mouth dropped at the astonishing sight.

Neji Hyuuga was standing in front of Naruto, his shoulders bunching as he threw the other shinobi against the wall. But the power behind the action was subdued somehow…less assertive. But it got the job done, and Neji was breathing hard, sweat beading his forehead. How was Neji so tired after one simple throw? Was he injured or something?

Neji got in the Bou's face, his pale eyes surrounded by an angry array of veins. "No. He. Isn't! Sasuke-san n-never did anything to harm the village! Naruto-kun is t-to strong to be kidnapped, even by one such as Sasuke-san. I don't c-care what our orders are, you will not _touch _him!"

Wait…_what_? Had Neji just used the affectionate suffix? Okay, something was definitely wrong, Naruto could see that now. The other man looked appropriately shocked as well, and his eyes were hard as he hissed.

"What are you saying? You–"

But he trailed off, and Naruto frowned as he got to his feet. "What's going on? Neji, what are you doing?"

Neji suddenly shivered, and Naruto gasped as he saw a large blot of blood soaking through his shirt, blooming like a terrible flower across his lower back. Sakura yelled, and Neji's form began shimmering unsteadily. The group of ninja watched as, with an expression of agony, Neji's form became more slender, and a bosom began growing in place of a flat chest.

Eyes widened around the room. Because after a minute, it was no longer Neji standing there, but a panting Hinata Hyuuga.

Her eyes closed briefly, and she staggered away from the astonished jounin captain. Sakura ran to her side, and helped her into a kneeling position. Bou was frozen, staring at the two women with such an expression of shock that Naruto had to bite his lip to keep from smirking. But then his eyes found Hinata, and the smile faded. He slowly knelt down beside her, and peered into her eyes.

She, for once, didn't blush. Her face was as pale as snow, and when he reached out to touch her bare shoulder, it was as cold as ice. She shuddered, whimpering as Sakura's chakra flared in response to the wound. The surrounding shinobi were silent, watching the exchange with confused and neutral expressions. Kakashi was standing behind Sakura, warily watching the Konoha shinobi. Naruto glanced around, and saw that Sakura and Hinata were not the only ones here. There was a blonde shinobi with light blue eyes, and a Inuzuka woman with long brown hair, slanted hazel eyes, and a black wolf ninken who looked ready to fall asleep from boredom.

"Why did you do it…Hinata-chan?" Naruto breathed, turning back to the Hyuuga kunoichi, and Hinata opened her eyes, gasping as she realized how close their faces were. Her lips trembled, and she winced as Sakura began cleaning the wound with a few swabs from her pack.

"I…I couldn't l-let Neji go…he would b-be unable to go against o-orders. I kn-knew that you and Sasuke-san were i-innocent, I couldn't let you…" she trailed off briefly, and then continued, her eyes glued to he ground.

"I couldn't let them hurt you."

Naruto's eyes widened, and suddenly Hinata cried out as Sakura picked out a piece of rock that had imbedded itself into the wound. Naruto found himself holding her hand, and she squeezed as hard as she could. He could feel the gentle softness of her trembling fingers, but also the conviction of her unwavering strength.

"Thank you, Hinata," Naruto whispered, and her expression was so surprised – and full of joy – that Naruto felt ashamed for not thanking her sooner.

* * *

When the eerily calm Madara Uchiha appeared a few moments later amid the Kage/Konoha shinobi congregation, Sakura couldn't help but notice that – instead of yelling and jumping up to attack the man that had nearly destroyed their entire village through the puppet that was Pain – Naruto stayed where he was.

The blonde's stance could be seen as merely wary, but the medic knew better. Naruto's shoulders were slightly hunched, effectively putting himself between the Uchiha and the girl who had risked everything to come to the aid of the boy she loved.

Sakura's focus was pulled to Madara as he began to speak.

* * *

Aiko felt a presence far behind, a presence that was somehow matching her speed. This was strange. No one had ever been fast enough to match her…except...but she did not pause to wonder why it was so familiar. A stab of pain shot through her skull at the sudden puzzlement, and she hurriedly pushed it out of her mind. Her legs pumped, easily catching up with the old Hokage that was named Danzō. She wasn't really all that sure why he needed to die, but Master had told her so, and therefore there must be _some _reason. When had Master ever lied? Never.

He loved her. He had said so, not only with his words but also with his eyes and his small smile. They were black as the shadows in the base, and beautiful as the endless night sky. She couldn't remember if those looks had been in a dream or in real life. In her memories, there was a black haired man, who she assumed was Master, and he would hug her so tightly that it hurt to breathe. His face was a blurry haze, except for almond-shaped eyes…so similar and yet so different from Master's cold eyes. And then pain would erupt in Aiko's brain, and she would scream so loudly that Suigetsu would have to come and wake her up. Then…were they dreams?

Memories?

But of what?

What disturbed Aiko most was that even through the pain, a part of her would relish the feel of those alien arms around her. A deep, deep part of her would long to respond with her own painful embrace, and press her mouth to those lips…

But by that time, the pain would be too much, and Aiko would gratefully – and sadly – withdraw from the dream-memory. She wouldn't tell Suigetsu of these strange pain-fantasies, because they frightened her more than she wished to admit. Master wanted a soldier, someone who did not express such petty emotions.

Aiko's head throbbed, and she was reminded of her task. Kill the old man, and return to Madara back at base. Suigetsu was ready to help her if needed, though she really didn't understand why she of all people would need assistance. Didn't Master have faith in her?

Danzō finally stopped, and Aiko moved to stab the man in the neck. He was so foolish to underestimate her, he thought he could _run _from her? But of course, he ducked before she could make contact, and she did not waste time wondering how was so fast, instead throwing several kunai, as well as a genjutsu. But the genjutsu was dissipated so fast that Aiko immediately became wary. This man…Master had told her of his multiple Sharingan, but she had stupidly forgotten. She did not look into his face, instead using her speed to feint to the side, and then sending a fire jutsu his way, using the flames as a distraction to duck under the jutsu and slam her kunai into his gut. She did not want to prolong this fight, she had no incentive to torture or mutilate any living thing unless commanded to do so.

Danzō obviously was not expecting this, because the knife pierced his flesh, making him grunt. He sent a jutsu her way, making her jump back, but he was wounded, and Aiko knew that she was on her way to victory. Master had studiously taught her how to defeat a Sharingan user, and she had learned his lessons well. Distract their Sharingan with jutsu, and go for the kill without hesitation. Danzō would be predictable because of his nature and because of his age, and he would try to distract her with talk and with other genjutsu.

Aiko would not give him time to speak. She jumped down, on top of him, and sent several shuriken into his back. But before she could blink, the man burst into a cloud. A clone! A gust of wind hit her squarely in the back, sending her flying into a cliff of stone. Jarring pressure make her joints crack, and she spat out a glob of blood as she flipped onto her feet. Chakra pulsed through her skin, anger at being bested making her pain fade slightly. She would not lose, this man _needed to die_.

But when Danzō straightened, Aiko gaped at the lack of a wound on the man's stomach. How…how was that possible? She had felt the flesh give way under the knife…what….

Danzō stretched out his arm, and Aiko saw that there were at least ten crimson Sharingan eyes implanted on the appendage. Aiko spoke before she could help herself.

"What _are _you?"

Danzō smirked. "Why don't we speak face to face? I know who you are…and it only proves my suspicions."

Aiko shrugged – he was going to die, so why not? – and yanked off her mask and head covering. Her thick hair was pulled into a ponytail, better to fight with, and her expression was not tense, instead merely neutral.

"I am your executioner," Danzō snarled, and suddenly another blast of wind filled the clearing. Aiko jumped out of the way only barely, and hissed as part of the wind made contact with her thigh, and created several shallow cuts. The wind would actually inflict bodily damage…this wasn't good. She was a wind chakra as well, so by pushing out a bit of her wind chakra, she was able to deflect most of the incoming attack.

Danzō smirked, his uncovered eye dark and merciless, a flash of red next to the dark, and Aiko glanced down to see that one of the eyes on Danzō's arms was closed. Interesting…Aiko didn't know what it meant, but she assumed that it had something to do with the supposed healing of the fatal wound she had inflicted.

Perhaps if she kept "killing" him, the eyes would eventually all close, and that would be the end of his invulnerability. It wasn't for sure, but it was all she could come up with in the face of her stabbing him, and then one eye closing. Aiko tensed in her position on a dislodged stone, and Danzō suddenly was behind her. Dammit, she had looked into his eyes! She was caught in his–

Suddenly, an arm yanked her out of the way and the genjutsu was abruptly ended. Her eyes snapped open, blinking up at the figure who was holding her tightly to its side. It was a young man, with dark hair and pale skin, and a trembling ache began rising in her chest. It was like bile, only stronger and unable to swallow. Aiko was frozen, and a feeling began pounding in her head, so loudly that she grimaced in discomfort. No, not the pain, anything…please…

He slowly looked down at her, and his eyes were so dark…so wide…so full of an emotion that made Aiko want to run away as fast as she could. His face was smooth and handsome, with a strange vulnerability that made Aiko both angry and sad. No, stop looking, stop staring, don't speak–

_** LET ME OUT! **_

The voice was so loud in Aiko's head that her mouth opened in a scream. He was so shocked that he released her. She backed away as fast as she could, still screaming. Danzō suddenly attacked this new shinobi, and Aiko took that moment of distraction to run as fast as she could. She ran, crying and screaming, hating and loving this ninja that invoked such feelings of longing and terror and disgust and sorrow that–

Her world went black, _and the strange voice faded into nothing, fading behind that iron bars that Aiko hadn't noticed until now. It was empty and dark in the area around her, and so Aiko felt drawn to this bright cage that piqued her curiousity._

_Aiko drifted toward the bars, and stopped just before the metal, staring into the cage that was guarded by strange shadowy monsters that hissed and cooed at Aiko before returning to their posts. The cage was so brightly lit that Aiko couldn't see anything inside, and if not for the angry snarling coming from inside she wouldn't have known it was occupied. _

"_Hello?" Aiko called, and was suddenly covering her ears, because the snarls transformed into words. _

"_LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT!" the voice screamed, and Aiko winced at the pure hatred that was exuded from the light. The feeling was familiar, and she flared when she recognized it. She felt so hurt by the light that her instinctive – an instinct that had never aroused her attention before this point – reaction was to angrily yell back. _

"_It's all your fault! You're the reason it hurts so much, so just _shut up_!"_

_The screaming ceased so suddenly that Aiko felt slightly sheepish, and the light flickered slightly before regaining its blinding brightness. There was a silence, and she felt confusion and resentment from the light. The being said nothing more, instead, there was the sound of strangled sobs coming from the cage of light. Aiko didn't know how to react, and yet the sobs invoked a strange feeling of loss in her._

_And so Aiko sat down – there was suddenly a floor where there had before been empty space – and cried, and once she had started, she found that she couldn't stop._

* * *

**_Questions, comments? Love it, hate it?_**

Want more?

PLEASE REVIEW!


	15. Chapter 14

Well, that was fun! Good ol' angst is the way I roll...for better or for worse.

I'm serious, this chapter is pretty much 98% angst. You've been warned.

**_Author Recommendation: _Okay guys, I have a friend on who's pretty much in love with Naruto, and she just posted a Naruto/True Blood crossover. If you havent seen True Blood (I highly encourage you to if you havent, its soooooo good!) then nevermind, but if you HAVE...**

**The story's really, REALLY good so far! It's set five years after the Fourth Shinobi War, and Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi are on a A-ranked mission when a strange cult somehow sends them to the lovely town of Bon Temps. It's so freakin GOOD! If you guys wanna give it a read, you wont be dissapointed! **

**It's called **_Taunted by the Shadows_, **and it's by my adorable friend (we go to school together) **_CaptivateYou_!

Okay, so check out my friend's story if you're interested, and I hope you guys like next chapter of Sasuke: Beginning of the End!

Oh, and please review!

=D

* * *

Chapter 14

* * *

I took off after _her_, not even considering for a moment that I was leaving behind the man she had been trying to kill. That wasn't important. I had been so long _without _her that I felt as if my fingers were slowly burning, and there was nothing I could do to extinguish the flame held under them. I wanted to touch her, I wanted to hear her voice, I wanted her to _see _me.

But as I ran, my mind reluctantly recalled the ignorant stare on her face, the frightened scream that was expelled as she began to run as fast as she could. Her body was cloaked in a garb of black, and my mind immediately rebelled against the color on her. It made her look dangerous, dark…out of my reach.

No, not this time. I had spent so much time searching for her...I _refused_ to lose her now.

And so I poured on the speed, my eyes searching for her in the trees. Her chakra left traces on the trees, and so I followed the trail along the upper canopy, my senses relishing in the familiar twinge of Hikari's chakra against mine.

Ah, it had been nearly a month since I had thought or said her name. It felt so right in my mind, and the thought of holding her once more made my feet pound even quicker against the tree branches. I knew that this kind of emotion was unstable, and that it made me look like a pathetic excuse for a shinobi. I knew that. I was well aware, and part of the beauty of it was that I didn't care in the slightest. Hikari was mine, and I was completely and wholly hers.

My mind was drunk with the thought of her, and her smiling face flashed before my eyes like bright sparks of fire, and my mind adoringly chanted her name – almost like a mantra:

_Hikari, Hikari, Hikari, Hikari…_

I could sense her presence nearby, but before I could drop down to the lower branches, a voice called out to me, and I recognized it to be the voice of Suigetsu. My skin chilled at the sound, and I stopped suddenly, waiting for the water-nin to show himself.

"It's not her, you know," Suigetsu said quietly, stepping from behind a tree, Hikari limp and shivering in his arms. My hands tightened into fists, and the Chidori was crackling in my fingers before I could stop to think. The muscles in my jaw strained as my teeth ground together, and something dark and furious rumbled throughout my body.

"Let her go," I murmured, surprised at how calm my voice was. Suigetsu shook his head, his arms tightening around her. His purple eyes were not malicious, instead pleading. I only had eyes for Hikari, and took a step forward, daring Suigetsu to challenge me.

"Sasuke, you don't get it. This," he nodded to the girl in his arms, to _my _Hikari. "isn't Hikari. Madara used some sort of seal on her mind; she's not Hikari anymore. I saw her…I've seen her kill children, Sasuke. I've seen her kill a man without blinking. Trust me, if Hikari was in there, she wouldn't stand for this," Suigetsu breathed, his eyes wary as he glanced around to make sure they weren't being watched.

I scanned– my Chidori had resulted in my eyes bleeding to their Sharingan state – the area, and found that there was no one besides Suigetsu and myself. Suigetsu would have no reason to lie…

My heart clenched at those words, and I stared at the girl in the water-nin's arms. Killed…children? No, Hikari wasn't that kind of shinobi, she wouldn't…she couldn't. She knew her own limitations of justice, she wouldn't even think to lift a finger at the innocent…I knew that much.

"I can lift the genjutsu," I said, for what else could it be that was ailing Hikari? "Give her to me."

Suigetsu shook his head once more. I put a hand on my sword, my patience wearing even thinner in the face of such open defiance. I was _so close_…if I just took ten steps…I could be touching Hikari. I could be touching her arm and feeling the warmth that she exuded. I would take off the head and mouth covering that she wore, and feel the soft line of her jaw, the thickness of her hair. The desire to move was so strong that I almost did it. My shoulders were stiff with the effort of keeping them from visibly shaking, and my eyes were so completely focused on Hikari that it was surprising that anything else reached my senses.

I had seen many addicts in Sound, and finally, after all this time, I understood how they felt when unable to have their alcohol. Before Hikari, I had never had anything I needed so subtly that I didn't notice how important it was until it was gone. I had taken Hikari's presence for granted, even after all those times that she had almost been taken away from me.

When she was taken, and the days turned into weeks…it was then that I experienced true pain. No physical wound could, and ever would, compare. This desire, this desprate need, was overwhelming my judgement, and I prepared to leap at Suigetsu, to snatch her from his arms and hug her so tightly that it constricted my own breathing.

Suigetsu's words stopped me from acting impulsively. "You don't get it. It wasn't a genjutsu. It was a physical seal, one I've never seen before. He named her Aiko, and she's been serving him faithfully ever since." The name immediately put a sick weight in my stomach. I hated the name, but even more, I hated the man who had given it to her. "I've tried getting her to remember, but…nothing works. I'm sorry; I can't let you take Hikari. Madara still has a hold over her, and if she goes missing, he'll be able to control her. She'll do nothing but try to get back to him. I'm not willing to risk her life like that."

I shook my head. "There must be a way–"

Suigetsu glared. "Well that's not good enough!" he snarled, and I blinked, surprised at Suigetsu's vehemence. My mind was pulsing with need, and I was barely able to remain as calm as I was being at that moment. Hikari was so close, so close, and yet I was unable to touch her.

The water-nin breathed deeply before continuing. "You're not the only one who cares about her, Sasuke. And you're not stupid enough to assume that if she walks into the Kage Summit right now, they'll welcome her with open arms. There's a war coming, Sasuke. The Kage aren't going to be very welcoming of supposed spies, even if that suspicious Hokage said it. Rumors are like that; all they need is a single suggestion, and then the seed is firmly planted."

"No–"

But Suigetsu was already gone, having preformed a teleportation jutsu.

Looking back on the moment, I can't say for certain what went through my mind. My brain simply went blank, and my conscious, logical thought just slipped into the abyss that was my ever-present instability. I wished I could free myself of this all-consuming desire to be with Hikari, but wishing only did so much. The damage was done, and no matter how many times I tried to reason with myself, the conclusion was always the same.

I loved her.

My ears caught the loud tapping of Danzō's feet against the trees, speeding toward what I assumed was the direction of Konoha.

I felt the mindless, numbing rage building up – it had been so long since this level of anger had filled me so completely. I was angry at myself, for letting Suigetsu go unscathed, for being so weak as to lose Hikari in the first place, for placing a small bit of trust in Suigetsu's words…for letting her go.

And then my mind was blissfully removed from the equation.

"I don't think so," was the last coherent whisper, and then I was running, everything fading into the background as I sped toward my prey.

* * *

Hinata bit her lip, staring up at the dreary gray sky that was currently crying small sprinkles of snow. She knew that Bou's anger with her wasn't nearly close to being worn out, and so she welcomed the chance to have some time to herself. It had been nearly half an hour since Madara's proclamation, and everyone – the four remaining Kage, Bou, Kakashi; the leaders of each sect of shinobi – was sitting in an undamaged part of the building, trying to discuss their next move. Hinata wished that Naruto was able to be excluded from the discussion as well, but as a Jinnchuriki, his presence was vital. The Hyuuga was so grateful that the Kage had decided not to arrest any of the missing Konoha shinobi, and she assumed that Kakashi was currently explaining their reasons and the corruption of Danzō's rule as Hokage.

Sasuke was still missing, but Kakashi assured them all that the Uchiha would return, and also commented on the fact that Hikari might be with him. This resulted in several angry outbursts, and the leaders lost themselves in argument once more. Hinata was beginning to see why the Kage Summit was often such a waste of time; all the Kage were so indisputably different that hoping for peaceful, harmonious discussions was simply ridiculous. Part of her wished that she could know what was going on, but a smaller, more childish side of her was glad to be rid of all the conflict…if only for a little while.

The dark haired girl was currently sitting outside on one of the fallen metal beams, blinking as small flakes settled on her lashes. Her wound was no longer bleeding thanks to Sakura's expert healing, and so she breathed deep without discomfort. No matter how much she wanted to feel guilty for misleading Sakura and the rest of her team…she just couldn't. This was where she belonged, by Naruto's side, not back in Konoha where she would be twiddling her thumbs aimlessly in the background.

No, that wasn't an option any more. Even if Naruto didn't love her back, she refused to let that deter her from caring about his safety. He was her mentor, her teacher, and her most beloved friend. If she were to die, she would die knowing that even in the face of unspeakable danger, she refused to give up.

It was her ninja way, after all.

Suddenly, Hinata's senses prickled as a sudden boom sounded far in the distance. It was faint enough that the Hyuuga was sure that the Kage had no chance of hearing it, and Hinata's eyes closed briefly before activating into her bloodline ability. With focused eyes that missed nothing and absorbed everything, Hinata delved in the direction of the burst of chakra, and her lips parted in a gasp as she saw the blurred shapes of Sasuke Uchiha and Danzō meeting and then parting in a deadly dance. Their chakras were both strong, but Sasuke's was much more vicious, his aura flashing dangerously and without any semblance of control. The place on his shoulder was pulsing with evil chakra, and it was then that Hinata remembered that Sasuke had a curse seal, and that Orochimaru had given it to him.

Hinata stood, torn in between running and telling the others, and going and trying to help Sasuke in what ways she could. She knew that in a fight, both shinobi could and would wipe the floor with her. She wasn't useless, but she didn't have the bloodlust that most shinobi attained in battle, allowing them to fight without restraint.

But then her eyes caught sight of an even large collision of chakra, and she decided the hell with hesitation. Sasuke was losing control, and if he didn't stop he would be tried for murder of a Kage leader. That wouldn't bode well for Naruto's safety, and would put Hikari in even worse opinions with the leaders of the villages. Sasuke wasn't her friend in any sense, not even a close acquaintance. But he was a part of the Rookie Nine, and he was Naruto's best friend. And he cared for Hikari more than anyone else in the world.

Hinata considered Hikari to be one of her closest friends, which was rather confusing to admit, seeing as she had only been in the village for all of three months in all. Hinata didn't know what it was about the girl, but Hinata was drawn in by Hikari's simple and blunt nature. She was happy and open, but there was a side of her that she refused to reveal, and she was so strong and yet impossibly vulnerable when it came to loving others. There was a connection that Hinata felt with Hikari that she had never felt with any of the other kunoichi of the Rookie Nine. The friendship wasn't complicated in any way, it simply _was_.

The pale-eyed Hyuuga began to run, lightly and quietly through the thickening snow. Her chakra helped to keep her afloat, and she took to the trees once she reached the circling forest that surrounded the compound. Her heart was throbbing anxiously in her chest, and her limbs moved gracefully to propel herself as rapidly as she dared without making too much noise. The sounds of yells and chakra crackling made Hinata's hair stand on end, and she steadied herself on the nearest branch, her pale fingers tightening as she leaned her forehead against the cold bark.

What would she find, if she continued?

But something kept her moving forward, and her hair blew behind her as she moved closer and closer to the fighting pair. The air was filled with chakra and the sharp tang of electricity, and her nose wrinkled slightly at the uncomfortable contrast. There was a deep shuddering pull of energy, and suddenly the ground stopped trembling beneath her, and a deathly silence filled the space surrounding her.

Hinata was breathing hard; her eyes wide as she carefully jumped over the canopy of snowy leaves and into a large clearing that had obviously hosted the battle. Tree trunks were overturned, and boulders were strewn around with large gashes in them, as if the wind had decided to carve a gruesome array of marks into the rough surface. Blood was soaking through the snow, so vibrant against the pristine whiteness. The area in the center of the clearing was blasted so it formed a deep depression, and Hinata stared blindly into the crater…her hand going to her mouth in shock.

Sasuke was standing still, his sword hanging loosely by his side. Danzō – Hinata assumed it was the man; all that was left was a few scraps of cloth and a pile of bloody pulp – was strewn before him, but Hinata's attention was not focused on the fact that the former Hokage was dead.

Sasuke's skin was gray and leathery, and two large wings protruded jarringly from his shoulders. His hair was long and shaggy, and his bloody nails were sharp and lethal-looking. There was a strange aura surrounding the Uchiha, like the calm before a storm. Hinata wanted to run away from this terrifying creature, but before she could, Sasuke seemed to sense her presence, and his head turned to face her.

His eyes were a horrible clash of black and red; the iris being the customary crimson of the Sharingan, the area surrounding the iris colored a deep shade of gray, slightly darker than his skin. Fangs brushed against his lower lip as he stared at Hinata with eyes that were so blank that Hinata had no hope of discerning whether he meant to harm her or not.

"Sasuke-san..a-are you…?" Hinata stammered, unable to finish her question of if he was alright, so uneasy with the Uchiha's grim silence. The air blew harshly around them, making a few strands of her long blue-black hair blow into her face, but she did not move to brush them aside. All she focused on was trying to overcome her desperate desire to run and hide from the creature before her.

"Lost her…lost her…" he mumbled, his voice raspy as if he had been screaming for a prolonged period. His knees buckled, and he fell to his knees before her, his head falling forward so that his forehead rested against her stomach.

Hinata felt a strong surge of pity, and moved forward, her voice soft as she struggled to hold back tears. Her hands hesitated, but then they moved forward to carefully place themselves atop Sasuke's dark head. He did not react to the touch of her small hands, and she felt her sadness welling up inside of her heart. She had never seen the Uchiha this broken before, and it tore her apart.

"Oh, S-Sasuke-san. I'm so sorry…"

Hinata had said those words many times throughout her short life. To her father, in hopes of somehow making up for her obvious weakness. To her teammates, for being so slow and fragile in the face of an enemy. To countless others, the specifics long forgotten. They all had the same meaning behind them; Hinata had been apologizing for her own failings, her own misguided weakness.

But never in her life had she said sorry in the way she said it now to Sasuke Uchiha. She wasn't sorry for not getting there sooner, she wasn't sorry that Sasuke had killed Danzō – she had never liked that horrible man, and Konoha was certainly better without him.

No…Hinata was sorry for the unfairness of it all. The unfairness of love, the unfairness of war, the unfairness of being so strong, yet unable to save the thing that mattered most.

Hinata's tears finally escaped her control, and she held Sasuke tighter, her own misfortunes catching up to her and surrounding her consciousness. The lack of response from Naruto regarding her feelings, the impeding sorrow and destruction the war promised to deliver. The lack of power Hinata held over any of these events was so painful…so _real_. There was no more time to prepare in the false comfort of Konohagakure; the harshness of reality was already greeting them, and it was all Hinata could do not to be swept away by the rushing current.

She continued to sob, whispering incoherent apologies, and her fingers tangled in Sasuke's slowly shortening hair. Through the film of tears, she saw that Sasuke was gradually shifting back into his human form, and a racking shudder ran through her as Sasuke's own sobs filled the air, his arms tightening around her waist as if to anchor himself to something solid.

There was nothing romantic or remotely sexual about the way the two shinobi clung to each other. It was simply two human beings, finally coming to terms with their own helplessness in the face of life's struggles.

It was only the beginning.


	16. Chapter 15

Phew! Finally!

Okay, folks, just warning you now...

There is a LOT of Kakashi-angst in this chapter. Honestly, I felt like such a douche-bag writing it (Kakashi's my favorite character, why should he have so many BAD things happen to him?) but I assure you I only did it to make Kakashi's reluctance to become Hokage more clear.

Hope you all like it! If you have any questions, comments, or critiques...

**_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

* * *

Chapter 15

* * *

Kakashi was unsure of what to feel as he and the group of returning shinobi – the Konohagakure shinobi, seeing as the rest had their own villages to attend to in the face of the upcoming war – passed the last stretch of charred trees, and came face to face with the still-standing walls of Konoha. The walls were still strong and beautiful, and with his keen vision the silver-haired man caught sight of several guards atop the wall, raising their hands in greeting and hurrying to open the large wooden gates.

Part of him was happy to be home, even if it was still unbearable to look around at the barren and destroyed earth and come to terms with the fact that the buildings and trees he had grown up in were gone forever. No matter what was rebuilt, the scar of the attack would remain branded upon the survivors as well as on the land itself.

But after the meeting that elected him the temporary Hokage – Sasuke had killed Danzō, an act that was surprisingly ignored, seeing as Danzō had secretly been controlling the leader of the meeting, as well as attempting to place an unnecessary assassination tab on an innocent shinobi – Kakashi couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and sadness. He didn't have what it took to be Hokage. He wasn't cut out for it.

The first time Kakashi had been placed in a position of high authority, he lost his best friend.

* * *

"_I've been thinking of what to give you…and I finally have it." _

_Kakashi stared at the dying chuunin in horror, and the Uchiha's lips parted in a bloody smile of peace. _

"_My Sharingan," he whispered, and Kakashi stared without seeing, and Obito went on, in that same contented tone that made Kakashi's eyes prick with hopeless emotion. "I finally understand…why you were made jounin. You're a great shinobi; I know…I know that, I think I've always known. Please take it…" _

_Rin hunched over, her tears splattering on the rubble, her sobs filling the air with their quiet lament and their quiet fear. Kakashi stared at his hands, unable to answer. This couldn't be happening…no, he could do something. _

"_I'm dying anyway, guys. Let me live on in Kakashi, let me see the future you two help create…" _

_Kakashi raised his head, and his eyes were raw and full of tears, the angle of his face making it so only Obito witnessed the tears. Obito's eye widened slightly, and then crinkled in a smile. _

"_I believe in you, Kakashi."_

* * *

The second time, in the village streets closest to the gates during the Kyuubi attack, Kakashi's lack of prowess in medical jutsu resulted in a small child – she had just graduated from the Academy – dying in his arms.

* * *

_The girl was slowly fading, her pale blue eyes staring up at the clear night sky. The moon cast a deathly pallor on her innocent face, and fifteen-year-old Kakashi pushed even more chakra into his jutsu, knowing without having to say or think it that he was probably doing more harm than good. His control wasn't nearly good enough to fix the damage done. _

_The girl had been helping civilians to the shelters when the Kyuubi's tail suddenly crashed into the outer wall, sending poles and pieces of concrete and metal crashing into the streets. A metal rod had hit her, and only her. The worst kind of bad luck, knowing that at any moment you could have pushed yourself just a little bit faster to avoid the final blow. _

_Racking coughs filled her chest, resulting in more blood pumping out of the thick hole in her abdomen. Her mouth was covered in blood and dust, and Kakashi shook away the memory of Obito's face, covered similarly in blood. Kakashi wouldn't lose her, he just had to hold on until the medics got there…_

"_I don't know why…" she breathed, and Kakashi flinched as if she had hit him. He didn't want to answer, but he found himself doing so anyway, as if his body refused to let himself be a coward. _

"_Why what?" _

"_Why I took the h-hit. The metal was going to hit an old man, and I just…stepped in front of it. The man is pr-probably going to die s-soon anyway, from old age. He lived a long l-life…why did I find it necessary to sacrifice myself? I…" she managed to get out, and tears began to fall down her cheeks, making her unable to continue. _

_Kakashi felt his throat tightening at the words, and he let out a cry of frustration as he let his chakra flow stop completely. There was no hope, no hope no hope no hope–_

_The girl stared at him with her pale eyes of childish understanding, her tears forgotten for the moment. "I'm dying, aren't I?" _

_Kakashi nodded, unable to meet her eyes. She stared at the stars once more, and her eyes took in the lights as if their luminescence was the only thing keeping her rooted to life. Perhaps it was. _

"_The stars are so pretty tonight, don't you think?" she whispered, her voice suddenly clear and full of acceptance. He looked at her, and found that her tears will still steadily flowing, but her mouth was spread in a small smile. Her lips trembled, and Kakashi felt a wave of pride for this brave little girl who was forced to face death so early in her life. She was in the middle of a battle she had no chance of surviving, and even so, she did not pity herself. She was strong, to the very end. _

_Kakashi put a hand on her head, feeling her warmth and her fading life. "Yes...yes they are," he choked out, looking up at the bright winking balls of fire that lay so far beyond the world they knew. _

"_I'm glad. Watch them for me…" _

_Her voice trailed off, and Kakashi knew without looking that the girl had died. Kakashi didn't let his eyes waver from the starry sky._

* * *

The third time Kakashi was given authority - it was even worse because of the simple nature of the mission - he lost the woman he loved.

* * *

_Rin was quiet in her position next to him, and Kakashi inwardly sighed at the flowering emotion that sprouted at her closeness. He wanted to hug her, to tell her how much he cared for her, but he knew that he never could. _

_Obito had loved her. Though Kakashi knew that Obito was gone and that he would want Rin to be happy, he was still hesitant. Rin was receptive to his affection, smiling at him often and always eager to heal his wounds. But the actions were so very different from their days as a chuunin team. This time, her feelings were less excessive and more straightforward, as were her words. It was this that Kakashi loved most about her. _

_They had been in ANBU for two years now, and Kakashi hated himself for the love that he felt for his teammate. It wasn't lust, instead an emotional tie that strengthened whenever Rin touched him, whenever she said his name. It was unlike anything Kakashi had ever felt before, and it terrified him._

_Rin knew his quirks, his moods, when to speak and when to be silent. She knew when to hug him and when to punch him and tell him to snap the hell out of his sulking. She knew him, and he completely and utterly understood her. _

_They were on a mission – an easy mission that required a simple scan of the forests near the border – and Kakashi was the leader, the only other member of the team being Rin. The two were silent for the first hour or so, and then, on their way back to the village, they began chatting and teasing as they usually did. Kakashi felt so light and happy, so unlike he usually did, and it made him elated and scared shitless. _

_Rin smiled at him when he looked over at her, and the silver-haired jounin – he was nineteen at the time – quickly turned back to his water. Th two were resting, and their senses were down somewhat, seeing as they were so close to home that nothing could possibly be worth keeping an eye for. _

_Kakashi shuffled closer to the girl, and she looked at him inquisitively, her eyes shining as if she knew what the teenager was trying to do. Kakashi blinked rapidly, nervous and unsure. Rin peered up at him, and her smile was lilting and beautiful as she tucked a strand of her short brown hair behind an ear. _

"_Do I have something on my face, Kakashi?" _

_Her movement brought her lips close to his face, and a faint blush filled his cheeks at the proximity. She didn't move, and neither did he. The two remained there, and Kakashi finally said the hell with it. The teen yanked his mask down and kissed her. _

_It was sweet, and it was perfect. _

_Rin let out a sigh of bliss, reaching up to cup his cheeks, her lips slanting to kiss him more deeply. Kakashi's chakra sensors were dulled, focused on the amazing feeling of kissing the medic before him. The clean smell of her skin filled his nose, and he let his arm loop around her waist, pulling her closer. _

_Dimly, behind a haze of pleasure, Kakashi sensed something off about the air around them. What…?_

_There was a sickening thunk, and suddenly Rin went slack in his arms, her face falling away from his to flop onto his shoulder. There were two shinobi slowly making their way toward them, their eyes greedy and cruel. Robbers. Chuunin from various villages who were too lazy to become jounin, and too greedy to waste their skills as chuunin. _

_In a flash, they were dead, Kakashi having teleported behind them and sent a a sword through each of their hearts. His mouth was parted slightly – he had forgotten to replace his mask – and he waited for Rin to speak, to at least be horrified to how off guard they had allowed themselves to become. But there was nothing, no sound at all save the rustling leaves. _

_Kakashi turned, and after a few moments, he knew why Rin wasn't speaking...why she wasn't moving. _

_There was a kunai lodged into the back of her head. _

_She was dead._

* * *

Kakashi glanced over at the rest of the team, forcing himself to not dwell on the sadness. It would only do more harm than good, and Kakashi had enough on his plate without filling his mind with the numbing horrors of his past.

Sasuke was walking beside Sakura, who was supporting him slightly. The Uchiha wasn't speaking, but he seemed calmer, not as frenzied. Kakashi and Naruto had come upon Sasuke and Hinata, in a clearing, holding each other tightly. Kakashi knew at once that it wasn't romantic, but Naruto had been a little less insightful. The blonde had frowned, and Hinata, for once, didn't blush. Instead, she helped the Uchiha to his feet, and walked past the two Konohagakure shinobi without so much as a cough. There was a newfound understanding in her step, and Kakashi wondered what had transpired between the two.

Naruto was walking with Hinata, laughing and joking with her, pointing out birds and other animals he was familiar with. The girl was indulgent, smiling prettily and laughing with him. Naruto was uncharacteristically nervous, though he hid it almost completely under his usual blinding grin.

Kakashi felt a stab of pain as Naruto suddenly grabbed Hinata and swept her up so she was sitting on his shoulders. The girl squealed and stuttered as she held onto Naruto's hands for balance, and Naruto laughed at her unease, swaying and stumbling on purpose. Hinata tried to be angry, but after a few seconds relented, and her pealing laughter filled the air. Sakura laughed with them, and even Sasuke looked slightly less morose.

Kakashi wanted Naruto to be happy, but at the same time he was afraid of what the upcoming war would do to Naruto's naive ideas. The blonde still believed that he could protect everyone he cared about. He still couldn't comprehend losing any of his precious people, and Kakashi didn't have the heart to set him straight.

The jounin sighed, and blinked as a dark haired woman – Shizune, he corrected, as the smoke cleared – teleported in front of the group, and called to Sakura.

"It's Tsunade-sama…she's risen out of her coma!"

Sakura let out a gasp, her eyes filling with tears of relief. The teenage medic looked to Kakashi for permission, and he waved a hand to dismiss her. Sasuke nodded at her, and Sakura bolted through the construction, racing toward the medical area where the Hokage was situated. The rest of the group slowly dispersed, until the only ones left were the Inuzuka and her ninken – a large wolf the size of Akamaru – and she moved to walk beside Sasuke, the wolf padding along beside Kakashi.

The three shinobi followed Sakura at a leisurely pace, and Sasuke stumbled at one point, clutching his shoulder. The Inuzuka woman – she looked to be in her mid twenties – held him up without hesitation, and put his arm over her shoulder, assisting him despite his glares. Kakashi was surprised, seeing as most Inuzuka could care less about those not close to them.

The young woman had the feral look that all Inuzuka women had, with slightly elongated canine teeth and the clan stripes on her cheeks. Her hair – it was a dark reddish-auburn color – was long, tied in a thick braid that fell to her waist. Almond eyes stared straight ahead, and it was only when she glanced over at Kakashi that he noticed that they were a rich brown color.

Her voice was low and slightly raspy as she asked, "You got something to say, Hatake?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I don't think we've met…?"

"It's Ashi Inuzuka. This is my partner, Murasaki," the Inuzuka said brightly, nodding to the black wolf on Kakashi's right. The Uchiha and older jounin looked over, and the wolf grinned at them, speaking in a tenor voice that was obviously female. Kakashi was surprised that the wolf was speaking to them so soon after meeting; it usually took a good deal of familiarity for ninken to openly communicate.

"Yup, that's me. Hmm…" Murasaki sniffed at Kakashi's leg, and Kakashi was so used to his dogs doing to same thing that it didn't bother him in the slightest. "You smell like those dog summons…I haven't seen them in a while. Didn't you have your entire genin team wash them a few years back?"

Kakashi chuckled at the memory. "Yes, I did."

Murasaki barked a laugh. "I vaguely remember seeing this one," she glanced at Sasuke. "running through the Inuzuka compound garden, trying to catch that little pug…Pakkun, wasn't it?"

Sasuke bristled, too tired to do more than glare half-heartedly, and Ashi smirked, shifting slightly so that more of Sasuke's weight was placed upon her. Kakashi nodded, his eye crinkling as he fondly recalled the expressions of the three genin at the end of that particular mission. If looks could kill…

Ashi glanced up at the Hokage Monuments, her eyes happy but hiding a deep sadness. "I guess we'll have to rebuild that, too. It'll be okay, though, right? It'll get better…won't it?" she asked, and it seemed as though she was forcing the expression of hopeful expectation on her face. Sasuke didn't respond, and Kakashi sighed, staring up at the faces carved deeply into the face of the mountain.

"I wouldn't count on it."

Ashi nodded somberly, strangely accepting of his less than optimistic response, and the three walked the rest of the way in silence.

* * *

Madara stared into the room through the small window in the door, and watched as Aiko thrashed on her bed. The girl was screaming with all of her might, her hands gripping at her hair so tightly that the Uchiha was surprised that she didn't tear it out. Her legs curled under her, flinging her off of the bed. The bedside table crashed to the floor, but Aiko was beyond caring.

Suigetsu appeared at the door, and his eyes narrowed as he witnessed Aiko's actions. Madara did not move, instead just observing as Aiko continued to sob and yell in agony – agony that could only be mental, for there was nothing to harm her in the room.

"This happens every night, what are you going to do about it?" Suigetsu hissed, his purple eye

Madara did not respond, his crimson eyes flickering in the dim light of the hallway. The Uchiha nodded at the teen, signaling that Suigetsu should enter the room. Suigetsu did so with a growl, and knelt beside the girl. As he always did, the water nin gathered her in his arms, ignoring how she shrieked and kicked at him. The young man murmured under his breath, too softly for Madara to hear, and the girl cried into his shoulder, clutching at him in her state of unconsciousness. Her keening sobs echoed in the halls.

"Eenie meenie miney moe, catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers let him go…"

Madara watched as Suigetsu held her close, pulling her hands from her hair as he did so. She relaxed against him, and a flare of something flashed in Madara as he noted that it was only for Suigetsu that Aiko relaxed.

Perhaps it was the memory seal weakening…perhaps the girl had always had an inclination to insanity, and was finally cracking under the pressure. Either way, Madara was not worried. The war was nearly upon them, and Aiko wouldn't be needed for much longer. He would use her to lure Sasuke Uchiha to him, and then he would kill her, right before his eyes. It would drive him over the brink, and it would make him strong. It would give Madara a very entertaining battle, a very satisfying kill.

Only a few weeks more…and then Madara would finally have his revenge. He would have his power; he would have victory in the palm of his hand. The world would be under his control for all time, and it would be glorious.

The Uchiha gave Aiko one last glance, and then smiled, putting his hands together and letting the tug of his flicker technique whisk him into the blackness.


	17. Chapter 16

0_0

It's...IT'S BEEN A MONTH AND SOME CHANGE! I'll just put it out there, and dodge the tomatoes y'all are probably getting ready to chuck at me.

I'm applying to colleges right now, which is a pain in my lovely buttocks. So please, be patient!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I had a little trouble starting out, but it all kinda started flowing once I got back into it. I really hope some people find the last POV as funny as I did, I was giggling while I wrote it, which doesnt usually happen.

_**Comments, critisisms, praise? **_

_**PLEASE REVIEW! **_

* * *

Chapter 16

* * *

My arms shook with exertion, sweat dripping down my forehead and slipping into the corners of my eyes. The stinging was secondary, the sensation so familiar that it was easy to ignore. I didn't once break my stare, keeping it locked onto the enemy. Granted, the target of my focus was only a wooden practice post, but that didn't mean I was going to give it any less attention than I would give an animated one. Muscles tensed as I prepared myself, and my fingers tightened around a kunai.

It had been two days since our return to Konoha. I had spent a majority of that time out here, training until I dropped from exhaustion, struggling to organize my unstable psyche.

Strands of hair were plastered to my forehead, falling in front of my eyes, and I stared at the wooden stump, glaring as if to pry all of the answers to my questions from its rough, worn surface. It, along with the other training grounds, had been some of the only things to survive the attack. The marks of thousands of kunai – the training ground had been here since the creation of the village, and so I supposed that nearly every shinobi had used the post at one point – marred the wood, and I sighed before straightening.

Had it really only been a week since seeing Hikari? It felt like so much longer, if I was being honest with myself. It felt like years had passed from the last time she smiled at me. It had been decades since I had held her in my arms. At least a few centuries had gone by since she had looked at me in that way of hers; like she knew that I was watching her, and wanted me to know that she watched me just as closely.

My face darkened, and I turned away from the training post, hating that the sight made me think of our first kiss. It had been raining, then. The light had been so soft and pale, like a comforting mist, and I fondly recalled her expression when the rain soaked her to the bone.

I steeled myself, staring up at the sky without a smile or a frown.

My sorrow had reached a limit. To sink lower into the despair would do nothing to help Hikari. It would only restrict my own abilities, and I needed to be at full capacity when I faced Madara. I would make that bastard pay, even if it resulted in my death. I loved Hikari, and would until the day I left this world. But some things surpassed love, and this particular act of revenge was one of them.

Madara had ruined my life. He had aided Itachi in killing my family, he had instigated the attack on Konoha, he had kidnapped Hikari and turned her into a mindless puppet. I needed – desperately _needed_ – to make sure he wouldn't be able to inflict any more pain.

"Hikari, Hikari, Hikari…" I muttered, trying to accustom myself to the sound of her name. I refused to be afraid of the memories; I refused to ignore the fact that she was gone. Bottling up my sadness and anger would only lead to instability. I had learned that lesson first hand, and the memory wasn't pleasant. Itachi had died because of my refusal to accept the past. It would be an insult to his sacrifices to make the same mistakes.

I closed my eyes, letting the kunai fall through my fingertips. It hit the ground, and from the sound, I knew that it had landed tip first. The breeze blew, making the forest around me whisper sweet nothings to the sky. The sound was peaceful and calm, and if I tried, I could imagine Hikari standing on the edge of the trees.

It wasn't a sorrowful image, and I found myself smiling. Because in this daydream, she wasn't crying or telling me how sorry she was, as she had been in so many others.

Hikari was smiling, and it lit up her face until it was practically glowing. There was an immeasurable lightness in my chest, because she wasn't running away from me. I would find her, and recover her memories. The way to her was clear; all I had to do was be patient, and wait for the right moment to join her.

She was waiting for me.

_I'll save you,_ I thought, and turned my back on the image, keeping her smile close to my heart. I looked at the position of the sun, and swore, stealing a glance at my watch. The digital numbers confirmed my estimation, and I sighed tiredly.

The idiot would throw a fit if I was late to lunch – oddly enough, Ichikaru's ramen shop had been one of the first things to be rebuilt – and so I began to run.

* * *

Tsunade sat, hands folded together in deep thought, her eyes staring at nothing in particular. Too many thoughts were rushing in at once, and she found that when she tried to focus on one problem, another would appear and prove itself more worthy of her anxiety. And so, after several minutes of frustration, she decided to push all of them aside. She sat, silently observing the details of her new office – situated in the large mansion that stood atop the Hokage monuments.

Below her, beyond the thick glass of her window, the villagers were working to rebuild various buildings. The first sector, the closest area to the outer wall, was almost completed, and the area was shiny and bright with vitality. Tsunade looked toward the sight, and couldn't help but feel a bit cheated. They were building over her past, in a sense. She knew that her bitterness was unfounded, and she looked at the new buildings, and struggled to see the streets that she had traversed as a child.

But they were gone. Just like everything else.

Waking up from her coma had been an ordeal, to say the least. It had been blissful, being unconscious. In the moment before she collapsed, when she poured nearly all of her chakra into her animal summon, she had thought that death awaited her. Tsunade had stepped into the darkness willingly, knowing that there were people she was leaving behind that would lead the village to peace.

It could all end, now.

Then, she had opened her eyes, and Shizune had immediately thrust herself on top of the Hokage, crying out her exclamations of relief. The older woman had been too shocked to do more than smile weakly, and then Shizune had sent a clone to go alert Sakura.

The girl had flashed to Tsunade's tent, and sea-foam eyes had widened, her lips parted in exertion. Shizune ran out to go fetch some medicines, which left the two of them alone. For the first few moments, all the young medic did was stare. Then, her face crumpled, and Tsunade – who was sitting up by that point, supported by at least twenty pillows – had silently opened her arms. Sakura fell into them, silently sobbing into Tsunade's shoulder.

It was the first time that Tsunade ever let Sakura cry without making a derisive comment. Normally, tears signified weakness. But when Sakura cried on that day, Tsunade couldn't help but hold her, because Sakura's tears made it clear exactly how much Tsunade had been missed. The tears made it perfectly plain how the stability of the world was hanging by a single thread.

The Akatsuki was disbanded, save for Tobi – who was secretly Madara Uchiha, which was just goddamn peachy – and his servant Zetsu. Hikari had been taken by Madara, and was, according to Sasuke, currently without her memories, serving Madara willingly. Madara had a plan – Kakashi said that Madara had called it the "Eye of the Moon" – to take over the world and control every living creature, creating a twisted sort of peace. The shinobi villages were suddenly allies, and the Kage were clamoring for war against this newly emerged enemy.

The older woman watched as the tiny specks of people ran around below, and let out a deep breath. Her hands flattened on the polished surface of the table, and her amber eyes flicked up to her right, looking for four familiar portraits. But alas, the paintings of the previous Hokage had been lost in the attack, and so she was met with nothing but pale blue wallpaper.

Even the dead had forsaken her. In this venture, she was alone.

The thought put something akin to courage into Tsunade's heart, and she stood from her desk, so abruptly that a few papers fell onto the freshly waxed floor. Pale blonde hair whipped around her as she marched across the room, her heels clicking with purpose as she went. Shizune was just preparing to knock, and gave a little yip of surprise when Tsunade threw open the door. Tsunade began walking down the hall, Shizune scrambling to follow.

"T-Tsunade-sama?"

"Send out the black-alert to all jounin leaders, clan heads, and ANBU captains. We've got a war to plan."

* * *

_I finally know where I am. My prison is soft and brittle, deliciously warm and painfully scalding, blindingly bright and endlessly dark. I do not live in a physical body; I am comforted only with the realization that I am separate from my environment. I have no limbs, no eyes, and no fingers in which to feel. _

_And yet...I _do_ feel. I _do _see. I know when it is dark and I know when it is cold. The energy in my little cage – for that is what I imagine my prison to resemble – pulses, a soothing rhythm. I am in the girl's mind; I am locked far beyond any source of power. I often wonder how I got here, or if I will ever return to my original body. There has to be a way…a way…_

_Time passes as time shouldn't pass, that much is clear. It passes painfully, as if each second is searing itself into my skin. Oh, wait, I have no skin. Then what is feeling this pain? How am I even thinking, if I have no body? _

_A sudden flush of warmth comes, and I sense something else within my vicinity. It is the girl, the one who has begun to visit me regularly – only when my world is dark. She is breathing quickly. Her rapid heartbeat fills the space of my prison, and it only takes me a second to realize that the energy pulsing in my light matches the beating of the girl's heart. _

_We are in sync. _

_Every time she comes, she speaks to me for a very long time. Most of the things she talks about are mysterious to me – such as "Master" and "Hokage". But sometimes, when she says certain things or feels certain emotions – "Suigetsu" gives me a small spark, and when she is confused I feel a deep rising within me, as if I am an ocean that longs to break free. _

_I _do_ wish to break free. It is all I think about, and yet I know nothing of the outside world. I am merely a thing, a creature. Who, or what, am I? That is what I wish to know. _

"_Why do you want to get out?" she asks, the first question she has ever asked me. I am shocked to my core – if I even have one – and for a moment am at a loss of how to respond. I hardly ever respond to her rambling, except to ask for her to release me. I need to be free, it is a simple concept. But the reason behind my terrifying desire is a dark, unknown chasm that I dare not cross. And so I remain silent, and the only sound is the thumping of her heart – my essence drums as well, perfectly aligned with hers. _

_The girl slumps to the ground, and I can sense her fear. "I don't…I don't think I was supposed to be born. Master never explains anything to me anymore, and Suigetsu–" A flash of recognition! "—keeps telling me that 'she's in there, she's just fighting'. He obviously means you. You're the only thing in here that wants to get out! Why does he look so sad, and why do I…why do I…?" _

_Tears begin to fall, and their salty pureness makes me strangely guilty. Somehow, the simple confusion of this creature invokes such strong emotions in me, and I remain silent, listening with more interest than I ever displayed before. _

"_I hate that Suigetsu can't stand to look at me. I hate that he seems to be waiting for someone else. I hate these stupid emotions, I hate that I'm actually _angry_ at him for…ARGH!" she shrieks, clutching her head and letting out a hair-raising scream. My prison vibrates, and the darkness seems to compress, uncomfortably so. _

_Finally, she quiets, sobbing, "I'm so lost…and no one is telling me why I feel this way. Suigetsu's always been there for me, I don't know what I'm doing that's wrong. I just want him…to look at me, and say my name. He keeps saying _your_ name, and I just want to kill him! Why can't he say _my _name? Why am I even TALKING TO YOU?" _

_She screams again, louder this time. I shrink back as the pressure returns, shaking and trembling and terrible. Terror and pity flash through me, quick as lightening, and I am left wondering how I am feeling these emotions. I am nothing more than a prisoner, how is it that this girl, this unstable girl, is able to grant me the power to feel? _

_I am utterly confused to what the girl is talking about, and yet…I feel an inkling of something deeper. Something more substantial is swelling through me, and I can almost taste the memories. The girl had been speaking of "her" for many visits now and this time was the first time I had seen her so broken. Had she discovered something about me? Was _I _this "other person" she had spoken of? How was…_

_Unless this body was actually mine. _

_Yes, that would explain everything! Our pulse has always been the same, and when she screams, I can feel soreness, as if I am screaming even though I am physically unable. It would explain the prison and the sense of loss whenever she visits me; I am not supposed to be in this cage, I am supposed to be free!_

_Her face is streaked with hopeless tears, and she keens a deafening lament. _

_I find the power to speak. _

"_Who am I?" I demand, my voice stronger than I would have thought possible. Hope flits across like a waving banner, and I can hardly contain my eagerness. My light flashes and flares like a roaring fire. _

_She slowly looks up at me, the resentment still present in her eyes, and the darkness fading. It is time for her to leave, and I cling to her as if to force her to answer. Her lips tremble, as if the knowledge causes her a great pain, and her image is flickering, fading, vanishing. _

"_Hikari."_

_And I am alone. The prison shifts ever so slightly, the constraints loosening a tad, and I am drowning in sensation. _

_Emotions flood my chest and images flash before my eyes – I have eyes! – and I fall to the ground, which I had never felt before. Long hair covers my face as I twist and jerk, struggling to keep up with the bombardment. _

Pain. Fear. Sadness. Anger. Amusement. Affection. Freedom. Resentment. Confusion. Terror. Comfort. Kindness. Guilt. Shame. Love–

"_Sasuke!" I scream, my voice filling the silence, more solid and hoarse than before. I gasp for breath, my naked body heaving and sighing as I recover. I am trembling, and I manage to sit up. My hands are shaking uncontrollably, and my lips are spreading in a grin of wild longing. _

Dark onyx eyes. Handsome features. Large, calloused hands that are so much bigger than mine. A low voice, full of an emotion that I cannot name. His strength, his stubbornness, his determination, his love.

_Wetness graces my cheeks, and I tilt my head upward, letting them fall. _

"_Sasuke…I _remember_ you…"_

* * *

A dark-skinned man in his mid-thirties was seated on a boulder, watching the lightening thunder across the skies. It was fitting for the Land of Lightning, and the Kumogakure shinobi would have been disappointed if the weather had been any different. The man was wearing black sunglasses, and just under his left eye was tattooed a curved bull horn. His arms were bulky and strong, and the great muscles shifted when the man got to his feet, rapping cheerily.

"Man I've been sittin' way too long, My back's a total mess, Why does my back hurt so much, well that's anybody's guess!"

_That's the first rhyming one I've heard in at least a decade, _a deep resounding voice commented sourly, and the man grinned, bobbing his head in agreement. The shinobi finished stretching, and began walking along the stone path. In his pocket was a small scroll that his older brother had given him the night before.

It read:

_Bee, _

_The Kage are meeting in three days. I need you to be there, so be sure to arrive on time. The Konoha jinchuriki will there, and it may be decided that you and the boy go to the place we discussed. Be prepared. _

_~ A_

Bee strolled along, lightly considering how long it would take to reach the Land of Iron. If he hurried, he would get there in a day or so, so he decided that a slow jog was the most efficient speed. The Eight-Tails spoke once more, his tone grim.

_This isn't going to end well, I can sense it_.

_Yup_, Bee agreed, and the Tailed Beast sighed at Bee's cheerful tone, but seemed resigned to the fact that Bee could not be roused to seriousness, not even in the face of a war.

Suddenly, a chakra signature flared, and Bee froze. Eight-Tails shifted inside of his mind, preparing for a fight. Bee did not tense, instead closing his eyes to better feel out the strange presence. Bee called his chakra to attention, and Eight-Tails added his chakra to the motion, and an octopus leg snapped out into the field of boulders, faster than the human eye could track.

A blur flashed just before the chakra hit, and Bee opened his eyes to see a cloaked figure standing there. The cloak was patterned with blood-red clouds, and Bee felt his wariness rising steadily. Akatsuki, hm? Bee had been told that they had disbanded…apparently not.

The shinobi had clammy blue skin, with gills present under his beady yellow eyes. A mouth full of shark-like teeth parted as he breathed, and a tall, thick body leaned against a bandaged sword of immense size.

"Huh. You remind me of a friend of mine. Got that sushi feel to you…" Bee said lightly, and the shinobi's face did not shift in the slightest. His hand tightened around the handle of his sword, and Bee called up chakra to his feet, in case of a quick attack.

_You better not be referring to me, brat, _Eight-Tails grumbled, and Bee just smiled cheekily. The Kumogakure shinobi stood, relaxed, and began to rap. The fight would be over quick, and so he decided to spare a little time for his art.

"Sushi's really good and stuff, The rice going fluff fluff, In the metal cooker–"

Bee was forced to jump out of the way, because the enemy had decided to start the battle. The darker skinned man growled, landing lightly on a boulder, glaring down at the Akatsuki member, who was smiling wickedly.

_I can't believe he broke my groove! _Bee snarled, and Eight-Tails made an effort to look angry as well, while barely concealing an eye-roll.

_Yes, such a shame. That one was really turning out to be a crowd-pleaser...can we kill him now? _Eight-Tails suggested, a gleeful edge to his usually solemn demeanor.

_Hells to the yes! _

_A simple yes would have sufficed, you overenthusiastic idiot_.

Bee snickered, called the Eight-Tails cloak to his skin, and attacked the blue-skinned shinobi with gusto.


	18. Chapter 17

It's been a long time since I last updated.

This is a fact.

I am so very sorry, and along with my apology, here is a nice, medium-length, INFO-PACKED chapter! Seriously, shit gets REVEALED in this chapter!

If you enjoy it, have any questions, and/or want more as soon as possible...

**_PLEASE REVIEW! _**

* * *

Chapter 17

* * *

Aiko moved behind Master, her eyes staring straight ahead, dully observing the verdant undergrowth as she ran. Suigetsu was just behind her, and his face was serious and blank, an expression that Aiko wished she could make go away. There was sadness in his eyes that she hated, and she wished that she could make him smile; make him forget the Hikari girl that resided within her.

The burning feeling – Aiko's mind mechanically supplied the world "jealousy" to describe it – flared again, and Aiko's expression shifted ever so slightly, her brow creasing with such subtlety that it went completely unnoticed. The day was a temperate one, the sky a dull blue with a few tired scatterings of clouds. Birds ceased their singing when the three shinobi passed, and Aiko heard the faint trill as they returned to their songs, before distance proved to be too much for her senses. All faded into silence, save for the rhythmic whoosh of chakra-quieted feet against the forest floor.

Aiko's mind drifted toward that burning center of hatred, and her temper flared once more, eager to find something to blame for her misery.

Hikari, Hikari, Hikari…would it ever end? Would anyone look back and remember Aiko, the girl who liked to write poetry and loved Suigetsu's smile more than anything?

The truth was too painful to admit, and so Aiko refrained from answering her own question.

Because Aiko knew that she was going to die. The essence that was Hikari was growing stronger by the day, and it was all Aiko could do to keep a hold on her own identity. Hikari was persistent, begging, pleading, and screaming for release. She told stories of a boy named Sasuke, the love they had, the need for her to return to her body. There had even been whispers that Master was evil, and that he was lying to her. By now, the temptation to believe Hikari was strong, and Aiko allowed herself to feel an inkling of suspicion.

But at the same time, who was Hikari to demand that her life was more important than Aiko's? In reality, whose life was more important? They were of one body, separated only by a breach in personality.

And so the battle continued to rage, and Aiko wished that she were strong enough to keep up her defenses forever. But she wasn't, and that made her sadder than anything. She wasn't natural, she wasn't supposed to exist…that was what Hikari said. It made Aiko hate Hikari even more than she already did, and she supposed that that was what made her strong enough to keep fighting.

Maybe Aiko wasn't supposed to exist, but dammit, she _did _exist! What about that did Hikari find so endlessly perplexing? Why did the abominable girl feel so entitled to her span of years? Where was the fairness in Hikari'sikaHi claim that Aiko's life was forfeit?

Suigetsu seemed to sense Aiko's frustration, for he sped up slightly, so that he was matching her pace. His eyes – the same color as the delicate flowers that grew outside of Master's main base – locked onto her face, and Aiko felt a great pain in her chest at the concern that crossed his sharp features. The young woman faced forward, her face molding into its stony mask of emotionless bliss. Expressions were still such a novelty, but Aiko was beginning to become familiar with the ones that demonstrated pain – pain that stemmed from no mortal wound, but instead from a place no blade could reach.

Her soul.

Aiko scoffed at that, retreating into the darkness rather than admitting her innermost fears. If she even _had _a soul to speak of.

No matter how hard Aiko wished it were otherwise, the truth stood out like blood against the newly fallen snow: Suigetsu was looking at _Hikari_, not Aiko. Never Aiko, never _ever_. Suigetsu viewed Aiko as a means to an end, a vessel from which to extract the girl he cared about.

The trees were beginning to thin, and with a jerk of her head, Aiko scanned the trees for foreign chakra signatures. The end of her long ponytail whipped her face as she stopped, mimicking Master. The Uchiha was still, his head cocking slightly to the left as he watched the area before him, lazily and yet with a cold certainty that made Aiko's spine tingle.

"Come out, Kabuto."

A disfigured man slunk out of the shadows, and Aiko stiffened, tensing into a defensive stance. Suigetsu remained motionless, calm even in the face of such an obvious threat. Wait, why was it obvious? Aiko's mind felt no justified alarm, and yet her body was shivering ever so slightly, her chakra spiking up and down without any concious effort on her part.

Dark cloth covered most of this stranger's body, and yet even from a distance Aiko could sense the sinister energy emanating from the man. Her suspicions were confirmed when a scaled tail curved out of the cloak, and half of a terrible face – slanted and scaled, like a serpent – emerged from the folds of the man's cloak. The area around his neck was more obviously scaled than the rest, glinting a wicked gray in the dull sunlight.

With a sort of morbid curiosity, Aiko pondered how much pain this man must endure, what with the uncompleted transformation and the lack of chakra stability.

_No…he can't be here, it isn't possible, _Hikari's voice suddenly sounded, and Aiko hissed at the sudden emergence of Hikari's awareness. It was happening more and more often as the days passed, and it took all of Aiko's energy to put her back in her place. But the strangeness of her speech was enough to where Aiko felt obliged to ask what Hikari meant.

_Why? _Aiko growled, and focused on pushing the bright light that was Hikari back into the cage. Hikari fought, but her struggles were much less than they usually were, her life force flickering in terror. Aiko felt a flash of unease at the idea that the sudden appearance of this man – if he was in fact a man – could subdue the seemingly intractable force that was Hikari's will.

Hikari's presence was fading, and just before she dwindled into nothing, she managed to whisper–

_Because I watched a ninken tear his throat out._

* * *

Ashi Inuzuka was absolutely and positively livid.

Her throat was tight as she struggled to contain said rage, but even through her concentrated effort, a low growl seeped from between her teeth and made those around her look around in confusion.

Was a gas-line broken? A loose dog, perhaps? Is the village being attacked again?

But before they could come to the conclusion that a human being was creating the resounding hum, Ashi was past the crowds, and her feet took quick and careful steps. Her shoulders hunched, and her teeth ground together painfully. Calloused hands clenched into silent fists, deadly and full of an anger that stems only from one thing.

Family. To be more specific; nosy, snot-nosed Inuzuka children that decided that jumping on her ninken partner with sharp knives was a smart move.

It was lucky that Hana was there; otherwise those kids would've walked away with more than a colorful array of bite-marks and ringing eardrums.

Murasaki was left with several deep lacerations and a bruised jawbone – from biting down on one of the kids' legs at an awkward angle. Murasaki had been taking a quick nap in the courtyard while Ashi had tea with her older sister Yoh – Ashi's tastebuds twinged painfully at the memory – and so she hadn't even seen the kids coming.

Ashi had assumed that the genin were competent enough to know that jumping on a sleeping jounin ninken, and then instinctively stabbing downward when said ninken awoke with a less than favorable reaction, was just plain _stupid. _

Ashi let out an indignant shriek, scaring the living daylights out of a passing mother and her toddler. The Inuzuka ignored the stern glare the woman gave her, gripping her hair between her hands and stomping the ground like a petulant child. It was immature, that was obvious, but Ashi was beyond expressing her anger in a calm, rational way. Murasaki had gotten hurt before, but this time was different somehow. Just _seeing_ her best friend lying there on the medical bed, whimpering quietly as Hana cleaned her wounds…it made Ashi want to scream at the sky and release every ounce of chakra in her body in an act of numbing rage.

"Now I enjoy instilling confusion and terror into the hearts of others as much as the next jounin, but stomping your foot? That's a new one, even for me…"

Ashi let out a full-blown snarl, and glanced up at the man – a brave man, it must be admitted, to mock Ashi when she was so close to cracking – for a brief moment before turning on her heel and stomping away. The sound of his mock-serious voice sent another flare of fury rising within her, and she chanted a soothing mumble of nonsense under her breath. Something to do with a happy place, full of flowers and sunshine and steak–

The sound of footsteps filled her ears, and Ashi felt tempted to stop and curl up in a ball.

Kakashi Hatake – elite jounin, one of the most skilled trackers in the shinobi world – was following her.

At that point, Ashi was tempted to throw the towel in and call it quits; her day just couldn't get much worse.

What was he doing, anyway, wandering the streets as he was? Shouldn't he be somewhere saturating his thoughts with pornography and other obscene images? Or better yet, annoying his students and/or helping the Hokage plan for the upcoming war? They were heading out in a week, shouldn't he be off doing important, top secret things? He was one of the captains of the squads – the shinobi were being separated into squadrons, soon to be combined with the other shinobi villages and their squadrons.

The thought of the battle sent a wave of unease through Ashi's gut. Maybe that was why Ashi was so on edge, why Murasaki's injuries sent her into such a panic. A war promised nothing but pain and death, and in the long run, it was guaranteed that Ashi and her partner would suffer the former, and perhaps the latter. Most likely both…

Ashi pushed those thoughts away. No sense getting all wishy-washy, doing so wouldn't do anything to help the Allied Shinobi win the war, nor would it stop said war from taking place.

All Ashi needed to focus on was getting Murasaki back to full health…

Thinking about her partner's injuries made the anger rise up all over again, and so with renewed vigor Ashi sent a sharp yell over her shoulder, in the general direction of Kakashi.

"Not in the mood, Hatake!"

"Mmm, is that right?" he murmured, seemingly distracted, and Ashi was willing to bet her best set of shuriken that his nose was buried in that book of his. _Icha Icha _or something along those lines...

Ashi resisted the temptation to check if he was still following, and instead kept facing forward. She reached the line of trees that led to the training grounds, and she heard the gentle thump as a book closed. Ashi let out a moan of self-pity, and reluctantly turned around to face Kakashi. He was, after all, her superior; it was only proper for her to acknowledge him.

The rage was cooling somewhat, not as uncontrolled and blind as it had been a few minutes prior, and so Ashi was able to keep her expression somewhat neutral as she observed the silver-haired jounin. Kakashi was leaning idly against a tree, his eye lazily staring at her.

"What?" Ashi demanded, and Kakashi gave a small shrug, his arms crossing over his chest. The way his eye crinkled made Ashi want to smash his face in; he obviously saw right through her attempts at remaining calm.

"I saw you walking with a particularly murderous expression, and thought I'd check it out," he commented lightly, and Ashi resisted the urge to snap her teeth at him.

"We're not friends, Hatake," Ashi snapped, through desperately gritted teeth. "So there's no need to 'check it out' with me."

"Ah," Kakashi clutched his chest dramatically. "I'm hurt that you think so little of me. I consider you one of my dearest friends…of course I would be concerned,"

That exclamation was so ridiculous that Ashi let out a burst of laughter before she remembered that she was furious with life in general. Her expression hardened, and she stuck her nose at Kakashi.

"Bull_shit_."

Kakashi's eye crinkled slightly, and he let his hand drop, his head tilting to rest against a low-hanging branch. "You got me, you got me…"

"So why are you really here?" Ashi asked, leaning against a tree of her own, too tired to maintain her fury. The worry for Murasaki was making her weary, and she struggled to maintain her firm exterior. Ashi wasn't one to make a show of her worries, and she silently urged Kakashi to leave so she could sit down and let her fear escape the tight prison she kept it in.

Kakashi dug his hands deep inside of his pockets, slouching ever so slightly. "I saw you looking like a particularly malicious ax-murderer, and so for the safety of the general public, decided to follow and make sure no one set you off."

Ashi rubbed her temples, and sank down to the ground, crossing her legs and taking a deep breath. Kakashi didn't move from his spot, and his eye scanned the area around them before returning to Ashi.

"Where's Murasaki?" Kakashi asked mildly, and Ashi knew without having to ask that Kakashi knew why Ashi was angry. Ashi wasn't sure how she knew, but the feeling was undoubtedly clear. The young woman stared up at the older jounin, and her slanted eyes stared him down, daring him to appear anything less than serious.

"Don't you have things to do?" Ashi asked stiffly, and Kakashi pretended to ponder for several long moments. The masculine curve of his jaw was clearly defined through the fabric of his mask, and Ashi sniffed automatically. Kakashi had shaved today; she could smell the aftershave he used – even the unscented brands held a faint, faint odor, contrary to their title.

"Does it matter?"

Ashi let out a bark of amusement at that, and Kakashi's eye crinkled once more. The Inuzuka kunoichi wasn't quite sure why Kakashi was being so friendly with her – to be honest, it was kind of freaking her out – but she wasn't about to question it. To be approached by the Copy-Nin outside of official shinobi business was a momentous accomplishment, and so Ashi decided that she better bask in the sensation while she had the chance.

"No, I guess it doesn't."

Silently, Kakashi slid down so he was sitting beneath his own tree, a few yards away from her, silver hair glinting in the sunlight. He waved a hand for her to continue with her story, asking her something in a casual tone. Ashi stared in for a few seconds before regeistering that his question was, "So what instigated the ax-murderer impression?"

Ashi gave her head a quick shake, took a slow breath, and began.

"It all started this morning, when my sister invited me to tea. It wouldn't have been bad, except that my sister cannot, for the life of her, make tea that doesn't make me want to wash my mouth out with nail polish remover…"

* * *

Within the dark depths of its prison, the Nine-Tailed-Fox paced endlessly, tails swishing in undulating curves as it went. Teeth curved over black lips, and ears flicked back and forth as it contemplated the current situation its Jinnchuriki was in. The boy was asleep, it was clear by the utter blackness of the Fox's prison. If the boy was awake, the outer area of the prison lightened, and flickered with the child's emotions. Now, only darkness reigned, and the beast relished in the freedom the lack of light gave.

Normally, the Fox would be trying to wedge into Naruto's dreams, trying as it always did to rid itself of the seal. But tonight, other thoughts plagued its mind, and so it focused its energy inward.

A great battle was rising; the Fox didn't need to have a physical body to comprehend that fact.

_I suppose the brat will need my chakra_, the Fox mused, and for the first time scorn didn't taint its tone when speaking of the boy. The reason…remained out of the beast's reach. The boy was a stupid human, yes, but at the same time the Fox couldn't just disregard him as simply _huma_n.

Bah!

The creature eased down into a sitting position, large blood-red eyes staring silently into the pool of clear water that made up the water. Its reflection stared up, and the Fox's mind was swept back to the revelation the Fourth Hokage – curse him! – had made in the chaos of Naruto's battle with Pain.

_Naruto is human, but that girl he talks about so often certainly is not_, the Fox admitted, and leaned down to rest its chin on its folded paws. The air in the prison hummed and soothed the fur on the Fox's back, but its hackles rose all the same.

According to the Fourth, the girl – Hikari – was not born of a human, instead…she was a product of chakra. In the process of sealing the Fox inside of Naruto, Minato's chakra spiraled off into another dimension; along with some of the Fox's own chakra. In order to protect itself in a foreign world, the chakra formed the most logical form; the form of a child. The fact that the child was female was merely coincidence; it could have just as easily been a male. The chakra of the Fourth was dominant, and so the child retained his exact chakra pattern, but the chakra of the Fox was enough to alter the girl's DNA make-up,

How the Fourth came to such a ludicrous conclusion was beyond the demon, and yet the facts were there, plain as day.

The Fox had always sensed that something was amiss with the girl, but it was only in the last battle, when its senses were heightened to such a state, that the reality sunk in. The beast could sense its own chakra in the girl, though it was nearly impossible to detect – the girl's soul had warped the chakra of the Fourth and the Fox so that the resemblance was exponentially lessened. Her appearance was all that gave away her identity, and most just assumed that it was coincidence that she looked almost identical to the former Hokage.

But then again, humans were hopelessly ignorant, and so of course their assumptions overrode everything else. Naruto assumed that keeping silent about the girl's origins was best for everyone, when in fact it could prove an invaluable factor in attempting to remove the jutsu keeping her memories locked away.

Claws clicked together as the creature shifted slightly, attempting to find a more comfortable position. The painfully firm chakra making up the seal flared as the Fox's fur brushed against it, and it hissed as a jolt of discomfort flared inside of his form.

And now there was to be another Shinobi War. With Madara Uchiha as the perpetrator, no less.

The mere thought of the man sent fiery hatred through the Fox's mind, and the prison shuddered as a low hiss sounded. Words could not hope to encompass the feelings the Fox held for the Uchiha man, and so it did not curse or scream into the blackness as it wished to. Instead, it merely laid there, eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

The Fourth Shinobi War marked the beginning of the end. The only question was who would emerge victorious, and how much of the world would remain when the winning side claimed its prize.

The Fox closed its eyes, letting a deep sigh fill the empty space.


End file.
